PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 


PAUL  TRAVERS' 

ADVENTURES 


BEING  A  FAITHFUL  NARRATIVE  OF  A 
BOY'S  JOURNEY  AROUND  THE  WORLD  ; 
SHOWING  HIS  MISHAPS,  PRIVATIONS 
AND  OFTTIMES  THRILLING  EXPERI 
ENCES  AND  HOW  HE  WON  HIS  RE 
PORTER'S  STAR 


BY 
SAM  T.   CLOVER 


Chicago 

Way  &  Williams 
1897 


COPYRIGHT,     1897,    BY    WAY   *    WILLIAMS 
TWELVE   ILLUSTRATIONS    BY    BERT    CASSIDY 


35O5 


TO    MY    FRIEND    AND    CHIEF 

HERMAN  H.  KOHLSAAT 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

I.  WHAT  THE   EDITOR    PROMISED. 

II.  IN    THE   HEART   OF   THE    ROCKIES. 

III.  DOWN   TO   HARDPAN.          - 

IV.  TRAVELING    IN    QUEER    COMPANY. 
V.  PAUL   FALLS    AMONG    FRIENDS.       - 

VI.  A    FORTUNE    IN    EYE-WATER.    - 

VII.  IN   THE   SOUTHERN    PACIFIC. 

VIII.  ABOARD   THE    CITY   OF   SYDNEY. 

IX.  FOLLOWING    THE    RED   WAGON. 

X.  CIRCUS   LIFE    IN    NEW   ZEALAND. 

XI.  ON   SHIPBOARD    AGAIN. 

XII.  WRECK   OF   THE    KOTURAH. 

xin.  IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS. 

XIV.  UNDER   THE    SOUTHERN    CROSS. 

XV.  RUSTLING   IN    THE   COLONIES.      - 

XVI.  EXPERIENCES   IN    THE   ANTIPODES. 

XVII.  FAREWELL   TO    AUSTRALIA. 

XVIII.  LIFE   IN    THE    "GLORY  HOLE."     ' 

XIX.  ABOARD   THE   CHIMBORAZO. 

XX.  HEADED   FOR    HOME.     - 


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ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

FRONTISPIECE.          - I 

"PAUL  STOOD  STOCK  STILL."      -  30 

AT  THE  SECTION  HOUSE. 52 

AMUSING  THE  EMIGRANTS.           -        ...  g6 

SELLING  EYE-WATER  AT  THE  FAIR.          ...  Ioo 

DOWN    IN    THE    LAZARETTE.                ....  r^o 

ESCAPING    FROM    THE    SHIP.          -----  148 

CIRCUS    LIFE   IN    NEW    ZEALAND.     -            -            -            -  172 

ADRIFT    ON    A    QUEER    RAFT.         -----  22O 

PEDDLING    "KAISER    TINTS"    IN    SYDNEY.        -            -  266 

IN    THE   AUSTRALIAN   GOLD   FIELDS.              -  280 

PAUL'S   FIGHT   IN   THE   GLORY   HOLE.  328 


Paul  T  ravers'  Adventures. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHAT   THE    EDITOR   PROMISED. 

' '  WELL,  my  boy,  what  can  I  do  for 
you?" 

The  speaker  was  chief  editorial  writer 
on  one  of  the  leading  daily  papers  in 
the  West.  Of  medium  height,  fairly 
robust  frame,  piercing  black  eyes,  high 
forehead,  and  sallow  features,  his  was 
perhaps  the  most  familiar  figure  known 
to  the  Chicago  newspaper  world,  where 
his  trenchant  pen  had  long  since  won 
for  him  the  recognition  that  his  tal 
ents  deserved. 

He  now  sat  in  his  cozy  den  on  the 
fifth  floor  of  the  Mercury  Building,  and 
with  his  swivel  chair  half  wheeled  from 
his  desk  turned  toward  a  lad  of  six 
teen,  who,  straw  hat  in  hand,  had  just 
entered  the  room  in  response  to  the 
invitation  that  followed  his  modest  tap 
on  the  door. 


6      PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

In  the  bright-eyed,  alert  figure  of 
the  youth  who  advanced  toward  him 
Mr.  Wilder  recognized  the  son  of  an 
old  college  friend,  whose  unpractical 
business  notions,  despite  his  cultured 
mind,  had  ever  proved  a  bar  to  his 
financial  success  in  bustling,  matter-of- 
fact  Chicago. 

During  the  occasional  visits  paid  to 
his  former  college  chum,  Mr.  Wilder 
had  learned  to .  admire  the  younger 
Paul  Travers,  whose  modest  deport 
ment,  bright  observations,  intelligent 
questions  and  fund  of  wit  were  qual 
ifications  that  readily  attracted  the  keen 
newspaper  man,  who,  perhaps,  saw  in 
the  lad  some  trace  of  his  former  boy 
hood  self. 

The  cordial  greeting  he  accorded 
Paul  put  the  latter  at  his  ease  imme 
diately.  After  inquiring  if  his  parents 
were  well,  and  receiving  an  affirmative 
reply,  Mr.  Wilder  divined  the  youth 
had  come  to  see  him  for  some  specific 
purpose,  and  not  for  a  mere  friendly 
call,  so,  pointing  to  a  chair,  in  a  pleas 
ant  tone  he  asked:  "Well,  Paul,  what's 
on  your  mind?  What  can  I  do  for 
you?" 


WHAT  THE  EDITOR  PROMISED  7 

Paul's  eyes  traced  the  pattern  on 
the  carpet  for  a  moment,  and  then, 
meeting  the  kindly  gaze  of  his  father's 
friend,  the  lad  modestly  replied:  "  It's 
like  this,  Mr.  Wilder:  I  finished  my 
studies  at  the  high  school  last  month, 
and  knowing  that  father  can't  af 
ford  to  pay  my  expenses  at  college, 
I  am  anxious  to  relieve  him  of  my 
support  at  home,  for  you  see  the  dear 
old  pater,  with  his  slender  income,  has 
had  a  hard  struggle  to  provide  for 
mother  and  the  girls  and  to  keep  me 
at  school  so  long.  His  department 
chief  in  the  railroad  office  has  offered 
me  a  clerkship,  but  it  isn't  at  all  to 
my  taste;  in  fact,  Mr.  Wilder,"  contin 
ued  Paul,  hesitatingly,  "I  want  to  do 
newspaper  work  and  have  come  up  to 
see  if  you  can  give  me  any  encour 
agement." 

Paul  blushed  as  he  finished  his 
speech,  realizing  that  his  ambition 
might  appear  extravagant  to  the  man 
of  ripened  experience  whom  he  ad 
dressed.  Still,  as  he  inwardly  reflected, 
even  Mr.  Wilder  had  to  have  a  be 
ginning,  and  perhaps  he  might  remem 
ber  this  fact. 


PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

The  editor  pulled  thoughtfully  at  his 
mustache  before  replying.  Then  he 
said:  "I  don't  know  any  better  crude 
material  in  the  city,  my  boy,  for  a  fu 
ture  good  newspaper  man  than  yourself. 
But  are  you  sure  you  have  fully  con 
sidered  what  you  wish?  Remember, 
a  reporter's  life  is  not  all  roses.  The 
pay  is  small,  the  snubs  are  many,  and 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  riches  or 
fame  awaiting  eve»  him  who  does  his 
work  thoroughly  and  conscientiously, 
as  I  am  sure  would  be  the  case  with 
you.  Better  aim  for  the  president's 
chair  in  that  railroad  company,  it 
will  bring  you  more  glory  and  a  fuller 
purse  than  the  editorial  management 
of  the  biggest  newspaper  in  Chicago." 

Paul  smiled,  but  shook  his  head. 
' '  I  know  that  money  is  a  mighty  good 
thing  to  have,  but  I  assure  you,  sir,  I 
wasn't  cut  out  for  a  rich  man;  you 
know  it  isn't  in  our  blood,"  he  added 
with  a  pleasant  laugh.  "I  honestly 
believe  I  can  fit  myself  for  the  news 
paper  profession  and  hope  to  attain  a 
moderate  success  in  its  ranks.  As  for 
the  snubs,  I  am  ready  to  take  my 
share,  but  I  should  think  if  a  fellow 


WHAT  THE  EDITOR  PROMISED  9 

behaved  himself  he  might  expect  de 
cent  treatment  in  return." 

' '  So  he  might,  so  he  might, "  re 
turned  the  editor  heartily,  ' '  and  it's 
not  nearly  so  bad  now  as  when  I  was  a 
youngster.  Well,  I  find  you  are  de 
termined  to  break  in  on  us,  so  I  will 
do  all  I  can  to  help  you  along.  Let 
me  see,  Paul,  how  old  are  you?" 

' '  I  shall  be  seventeen  in  August, 
sir. " 

"Pretty  young  yet  to  start  in,  my 
son.  I  hate  to  see  you  buckle  down 
in  earnest  without  first  having  a  glimpse 
of  the  outside  world.  After  once  fairly 
in  harness,  it  is  hard  to  get  away,  and 
one  draws  to  manhood  and' assumes  its 
responsibilities  almost  before  one  real 
izes  what  has  happened.  My  advice  is 
to  roam  around  a  bit  before  plunging 
into  the  stern  realities  of  life.  It 
would  be  an  experience  of  even  far 
more  value  than  a  college  training  in 
the  calling  you  wish  to  follow." 

' '  I  feel  that  you  are  right,  Mr.  Wild 
er;  indeed  I  have  often  wished  that 
I  could  be  in  the  position  of  those 
wealthy  young  Englishmen  who  are 
sent  abroad  to  make  the  grand  tour 


10     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

after  finishing  their  studies  at  home; 
but  of  course  that  sort  of  a  trip  is  out 
of  the  question.  I  can't  even  afford 
the  economical  tramps  afoot,  such  as 
Bayard  Taylor  took;  but  do  you  know, 
Mr.  Wilder,"  continued  Paul,  in  his 
chatty,  confidential  way,  ' '  I  have  had 
serious  thoughts  at  times  of  starting 
out  to  see  something  of  the  world,  re 
gardless  of  money  or  prospects.  I 
actually  believe  I  could  leave  Chicago 
with  just  a  few  dollars  in  my  pocket 
and  circle  clear  around  the  globe  if  I 
only  had  the  nerve  to  make  the  start. 
Do  you  think  I  could  succeed?" 

The  editor  laughed  grimly.  ' '  I  be 
lieve  if  anyone  could  you  could,  Paul, 
but  it  is  a  more  serious  undertaking 
than  I  should  care  to  essay  at  my  age. 
With  your  activity  and  pluck,  however, 
I  guess  you  would  pull  through  all 
right,  though  I  am  not  advising  its 
attempt,  mind.  Just  think  over  what 
I  have  told  you  and  come  back  to 
see  me  next  week.  Meantime  I'll  ask 
the  city  editor  to  bear  your  application 
in  mind." 

Paul  had  the  good  sense  to  see  that 
the  interview  was  at  an  end,  so,  pick- 


WHAT  THE  EDITOR  PROMISED  1 1 

ing  up  his  hat,  he  thanked  Mr.  Wild 
er  warmly  for  his  interest  and  with  a 
cheery  good  afternoon,  withdrew. 

He  was  unusually  quiet  that  even 
ing,  and  when  his  sisters  attempted 
to  rally  him  he  let  their  banter  pass 
almost  unheeded.  When  his  mother 
kissed  him  good-night  she  drew  her 
hand  caressingly  over  her  boy's  face 
and  tenderly  inquired  if  his  head 
ached,  but  when  Paul  fondly  returned 
the  kiss  and  assured  his  mother  that 
nothing  ailed  him  physically  her  heart 
told  her  that  the  lad  was  wrestling 
with  some  problem  which  would  un 
doubtedly  be  revealed  in  good  season. 

1 '  Father,  I  want  to  walk  ,down  town 
with  you,"  said  Paul  next  morning  at 
the  breakfast  table. 

"All  right,  my  son;  I  shall  be  de 
lighted.  Have  you  concluded  to  take 
that  clerkship  after  all?" 

"No,  sir;  but  I  want  to  have  a  talk 
with  you."  Then,  seeing  the  looks  of 
curiosity  depicted  on  the  faces  of  his 
sisters,  he  laughingly  added :  ' '  Now, 
girls,  just  possess  your  souls  in  pa 
tience  and  I'll  disclose  the  dark  secret 
this  afternoon." 


12     PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

Both  Madge  and  Edith  declared  they 
hadn't  the  least  particle  of  interest  in 
his  mysterious  plans,  and  begged  him 
not  to  think  of  revealing  them  on 
their  account,  but  Paul  smiled  good- 
naturedly,  and  said  he  knew  they  were 
burning  with  curiosity.  To  his  mother 
he  whispered  as  she  followed  his  father 
to  the  door,  "I'll  tell  you  all  about  it 
when  I  come  back." 

The  elder  Paul  Travers  always 
walked  to  his  office  in  fine  weather. 
In  the  first  place  it  saved  car  fare, 
and  secondly  the  two-mile  tramp  acted 
as  a  tonic  on  the  system  of  the  man 
who  sat  all  day  at  his  desk  in  the 
auditor's  office  of  the  big  railroad  com 
pany  where  he  was  employed.  Then, 
too,  the  miserable  street-car  service  in 
the  west  district  where  he  lived  re 
pelled  rather  than  attracted  passenger 
traffic. 

Father  and  son  traversed  several 
blocks  without  either  saying  a  word. 
Suddenly  Paul  spoke.  "Do  you  think 
you  could  get  me  a  pass  to  Pueblo?" 
was  his  startling'  query. 

"I  might  if  I  applied  for  it,  I  sup 
pose;  but  what  do  you  expect  to  do 


WHAT  THE  EDITOR  PROMISED  13 

in  Colorado?"  asked  his  perplexed 
parent. 

' '  I  went  to  the  Mercury  office  yes 
terday,"  returned  Paul,  evading  a 
direct  reply,  "and  had  a  talk  with 
Mr.  Wilder  about  newspaper  work. 
He  thought  he  could  help  me,  but 
suggested  that  I  see  a  little  of  the 
world  and  rub  off  my  rawness  before 
starting  in  as  a  reporter.  He  thinks 
that  a  practical  experience  of  this  sort 
will  be  invaluable  to  me  later  on. 
What  do  you  think,  father?" 

Mr.  Travers  hesitated.  He  was 
proud  of  his  son's  energy  and  ambition, 
but  the  boy  was  dear  to  his  heart,  and 
the  thought  of  any  separation  was 
painful.  Yet,  knowing  his  own  short 
comings,  he  realized  that  a  journey  of 
the  kind  proposed  would  give  the  lad 
practical  ideas  and  a  knowledge  of  the 
world  which  would  at  least  save  him 
from  the  fate  that  had  befallen  his 
father.  Then,  too,  he  shrewdly  guessed 
that  Paul's  imaginative  mind  would 
never  be  satisfied  with  the  dull  routine 
of  clerical  work;  so  with  a  rapid  men 
tal  survey  of  these  various  problems 
he  replied :  "I  certainly  believe  travel 


14     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

and  observation  will  improve  anyone, 
but,  my  boy,  suppose  you  go  to  Colo 
rado.  What  are  your  plans?" 

"Frankly,  I  have  no  definite  ones, 
father.  You  know  I  have  a  standing 
invitation  from  Ernest  Horton  to  visit 
him  at  Silverton,  to  which  point  I 
would  probably  go  from  Pueblo.  I  am 
anxious  to  see  some  of  the  famous 
silver  mines  in  Colorado,  and  to  tramp 
over  part  of  the  Rockies.  It  seems 
to  me  that  one  who  has  lived  all  his 
life  in  a  flat  prairie  country  might  be 
inspired  by  the  sight  of  those  mighty 
peaks  out  there." 

' '  But  fifty  dollars  won't  last  you  very 
long,  Paul.  What  will  you  do  when 
your  money  is  gone?  I  am  sorry  to 
say  I  can't  spare  any  just  now." 

"Don't  you  worry  about  that,  dad," 
returned  Paul  affectionately.  "When 
my  last  cent  is  spent  I  may  take  a 
notion  to  turn  tramp  and  keep  on 
walking  until  I  strike  salt  water.  But 
just  rest  easy.  I'm  sure  I  can  take 
care  of  myself,  and  I'll  keep  you  all 
posted  so  that  you  may  know  I  am 
safe  and  in  the  land  of  the  living. 
Only  give  me  your  permission  to  go 


WHAT  THE  EDITOR  PROMISED  15 

and  help  me  win  mother's  consent. 
Is  it  a  bargain,  father?"  And  the  lad 
halted  on  the  Adams  street  viaduct, 
over  which  they  were  then  passing,  and 
laid  his  hand  caressingly  on  the  elder 
man's  shoulder.  '  'You  know  what  Mr. 
Wilder's  views  are,"  he  continued,  by 
way  of  a  clincher,  "and  I  wouldn't 
urge  it  myself  if  I  didn't  feel  certain 
it  was  a  good  thing." 

Five  minutes  more  and  they  had 
reached  the  general  offices  of  the  rail 
road  company.  As  Paul  turned  to  re 
trace  his  steps  his  father  called  from 
the  stairway:  "I'll  think  it  over,  my 
son;  I'm  half  inclined  to  let  you  go, 
but  I  must  consult  with  your  mother. " 

Mrs.  Travers  was  decidedly  averse 
to  the  project  at  first,  but  after  a  long 
discussion  that  night  with  her  husband, 
during  which  he  told  some  forcible 
truths  regarding  his  own  early  life  and 
its  isolation,  the  mother  yielded  and 
reluctantly  gave  her  consent.  When 
Paul  outlined  his  plans  and  hinted  of 
a  possible  extension  of  his  Colorado 
trip  to  points  far  beyond,  both  his 
mother  and  the  girls  thought  he  was 
merely  joking,  and  Edith  laughed  gayly 


16     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

at  the  notion  of  any  prolonged  travels 
with  so  slender  a  purse  as  Paul  car 
ried.  None  of  them  could  believe  he 
was  really  in  earnest. 

In  his  way  Paul  was  something  of 
a  fatalist,  and  was  willing  to  be  guided 
to  a  great  extent  by  circumstances. 
He  was  determined  to  travel,  and  had 
planned  to  do  any  honest  work,  how 
ever  humble  or  rough,  in  order  to  suc 
ceed  in  his  object.  Hard  knocks  and 
buffetings  he  expected  to  encounter, 
but  if  he  could  have  foreseen  some  of 
his  later  experiences  even  his  enthu 
siasm  might  have  suffered  a  collapse. 

Two  days  before  the  time  set  for 
starting  out  on  what  Madge  facetiously 
termed  her  brother's  "grand  tower," 
Paul  made  a  farewell  call  on  his  father's 
friend  at  the  Mercury  office. 

1 '  I  have  come  to  say  good-bye,  Mr. 
Wilder,"  he  said,  advancing  to  where 
the  newspaper  man  sat  at  his  desk. 
"You  see,  I  have  taken  your  advice 
and  intend  to  knock  around  a  little 
before  joining  the  Mercury  staff." 

The  editor  leaned  back  in  his  chair 
until  the  springs  groaned.  ' '  Bless  my 
soul,  boy,  you  surely  are  not  in  ear- 


WHAT  THE  EDITOR  PROMISED  17 

nest;  I  never  dreamed  your  parents 
would  give  their  consent.  Which  way 
do  you  go,  and  when  do  you  start?" 

"I  am  going  to  Colorado  first  and 
expect  to  leave  Thursday,"  answered 
Paul.  "I  want  to  see  something  of 
the  mountainous  country  and  will  put 
in  a  month  or  two  at  the  silver  mines; 
what  my  route  will  be  after  that  I 
have  not  determined.  I  only  know  that 
I  intend  to  keep  my  face  to  the  West 
and  hope  that  I  won't  have  to  turn  in 
my  tracks  until  I  strike  Chicago  again. " 

The  newspaper  man  emitted  a  long 
whistle.  "Well,  come,  I  like  that," 
he  ejaculated;  "and  what  do  you  ex 
pect  such  a  trip  will  cost  you  ?" 

Paul  smiled.  "Well,  not  much;  I 
have  fifty-three  dollars  in  cash  and  a 
pass  over  the  Santa  Fe  road  to  Pueblo. 
But  I  mean  to  make  it,  though,  sure 
as  I  live,"  added  the  lad  earnestly, 
noticing  the  look  of  incredulity  on  Mr. 
Wilder's  face. 

"Tell  you  what  I'll  do,  Paul,"  said 
the  editor  banteringly,  "I'll  give  you 
six  weeks  to  get  back  to  three  meals 
a  day  and  a  clean  bed.  You'll  do 
well  if  you  stand  the  pressure  that 


1 8  PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

long.  Why,  boy,  you'll  starve  to  death 
out  in  that  country  when  your  money 
is  exhausted." 

This  light  estimation  of  his  powers 
nettled  Paul,  as  Mr.  Wilder  had  pur 
posely  intended,  and  his  tone  was  a 
trifle  brusque  as  he  retorted:  "Oh, 
no,  sir,  I  guess  not,  and  I  am  certain 
you  will  not  see  me  back  here  in  less 
than  a  year,  for  I  will  surely  go  clear 
around  the  world.  But  that  isn't  all; 
I  hope  to  get  back  with  more  money 
than  I  have  now,  if  possible." 

Paul  was  far  from  being  a  boaster, 
and  the  quiet,  earnest  manner  in  which 
he  said  this  seemed  to  carry  conviction 
to  the  quizzical  editor,  who  immedi 
ately  exclaimed:  "Ah,  Paul,  forgive 
my  skepticism.  I  haven't  the  slightest 
doubt  of  your  ultimate  success,  and  I 
promise  that  a  first-class  position  shall 
be  ready  for  you  on  the  Mercury  staff 
as  a  reward  for  your  courage  and  en 
terprise,  when  you  return.  Meanwhile, 
if  you  care  to  send  us  in  any  letters 
descriptive  of  your  travels  we  will  not 
only  publish  them  but  pay  you  a  good 
price  if  they  prove  interesting. 

' '  Do  you  know,  my   boy, "  he  con- 


WHAT  THE  EDITOR  PROMISED  19 

tinued,  ' '  I  really  am  proud  of  your 
spirited  resolution,  and  only  wish  I 
were  twenty  years  younger,  so  that 
I  could  offer  myself  as  a  traveling 
companion.  But  don't  forget,  Paul, 
that  wherever  you  go  or  in  what  com 
pany  you  are  thrown  you  have  a  good 
name  to  cherish  and  a  mother  whose 
heart  would  be  broken  if  her  boy 
went  wrong.  Another  thing  ;  don't  rush 
into  danger  needlessly.  One  can  be 
brave  without  being  foolhardy.  I  firmly 
believe  you  will  turn  up  here  some 
fine  morning  safe  and  sound,  with  a 
fund  of  experiences  worth  the  price  of 
one  of  those  silver  mines  out  in  the 
Rockies.  So  keep  a  stiff  upper  lip, 
my  lad,  and  try  to  take  things  phil 
osophically — the  feathers  with  the  tur 
key.  " 

Then  this  usually  cynical  leader- 
writer,  whose  pen,  people  said,  was 
tipped  with  gall,  gave  Paul  a  hearty 
handshake,  wished  him  Godspeed,  and 
as  the  door  closed  on  his  retreating 
form,  muttered,  ' '  It's  a  fool  thing  to 
attempt,  I  am  afraid,  but  if  he  comes 
through  all  right  it  will  be  the  making 
of  him."  Then  he  whirled  around  to 


20      PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

his  desk,  dipped  his  stub  pen  in  the 
ink  and  was  soon  deep  in  a  scathing 
editorial  on  the  unblushing  boodlers  of 
the  city  hall. 


CHAPTER  II. 

IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES. 

THE  Santa  Fe  train  was  speeding 
rapidly  toward  Pueblo,  and  Paul,  with 
the  exuberance  and  elasticity  of  youth, 
was  beginning  to  recover  from  the 
terrible  attack  of  homesickness  that 
had  haunted  him  since  the  day  pre 
vious. 

It  had  been  harder  to  say  good-bye 
to  his  parents  and  sisters  than  he  had 
anticipated,  and  but  for  his  brave 
promise  made  to  Mr.  Wilder  it  is 
possible  that  he  would  have  aban 
doned  the  trip  at  the  last  moment 
when  he  saw  the  grief  of  his  mother 
and  the  tears  of  Madge  and  Edith. 
But  although  there  was  a  big  lump 
in  his  throat  and  a  heaviness  of  heart 
that  oppressed  him  sorely,  he  man 
aged  to  go  through  the  ordeal  without 
utterly  breaking  down,  and  the  prom 
ise  of  liberal  letterwriting  on  both 
sides  was  a  slight  measure  of  comfort. 

To  the   lad  who   had   never   before 

21 


22     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

been  out  of  Illinois  the  journey  so 
far  had  been  full  of  novelty.  The 
crossing  of  the  Father  of  Waters  and 
later  of  the  mighty  Missouri  were 
events  not  to  be  soon  forgotten,  while 
the  ever-changing  scenery  through 
which  the  train  passed  so  engrossed 
his  attention  that  gradually  his  spirits 
brightened  and  his  features  resumed 
their  accustomed  vivacity. 

Perhaps  it  was  his  lively  interest  in 
the  surroundings,  together  with  his 
cheery  countenance,  which  attracted 
the  attention  of  a  young  army  lieu 
tenant,  who  presently  opened  a  con 
versation  that,  by  the  time  they  reached 
Pueblo,  resulted  in  establishing  quite 
a  bond  of  friendship  between  the  two. 

Mr.  Hatfield  was  in  the  cavalry 
branch  of  the  service,  and  was  re 
turning  to  his  post  on  the  Colorado 
frontier,  after  a  two  months'  leave  of 
absence.  He  was  greatly  interested  in 
Paul's  proposed  trip,  and  the  gentle 
breeding  of  the  lad,  added  to  the  fact 
that  both  had  recently  severed  home 
ties,  warmed  his  heart  toward  the 
youngster. 

At   Pueblo   they  stayed   over   night 


IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES   23 

at  the  same  hotel,  where  the  officer 
insisted  on  settling  the  bill  next  morn 
ing.  As  the  route  of  each  lay  in  a  sim 
ilar  direction,  over  the  Denver  and 
Rio  Grande  Railroad,  both  went  south 
on  the  same  train,  the  presence  of 
the  lieutenant  adding  greatly  to  the 
charm  of  the  ride  in  that  picturesque 
region. 

Paul  was  fairly  overcome  by  the 
awful  grandeur  of  the  mountains,  whose 
beauties  he  experienced  for  the  first 
time,  and  if  he  said  little  it  was  be 
cause  he  was  too  full  for  mere  words. 
But  there  was  an  exultant  leap  at 
his  heart  and  a  thrilling  of  the  pulses, 
as  he  absorbed  the  inspiring  scenery, 
that  caused  his  eyes  to  dilate  and  his 
cheeks  to  blush  with  gratified  pleasure. 

Lieutenant  Hatfield  had  business  to 
transact  at  Fort  Garland  that  would  de 
tain  him  a  day  and  he  invited  Paul  to 
be  his  guest  at  the  post.  As  the  lad 
was  in  no  hurry  to  reach  Silverton,  he 
gladly  availed  himself  of  the  chance 
to  see  something  of  soldier  life  on  the 
frontier. 

' '  But  you  won't  see  much  activity 
at  this  post, "  remarked  the  lieutenant. 


24    PAUL  TRAVERS*  ADVENTURES 

"It  is  to  be  abandoned  shortly,  and 
only  two  companies  of  '  doughboys ' 
remain.  Just  wait  until  we  reach  my 
command  on  the  Uncompahgre  River, 
then  I'll  give  you  a  taste  of  army 
life." 

However,  Paul  passed  a  very  enjoy 
able  day,  especially  in  the  forenoon, 
when,  in  company  with  two  young 
lieutenants  fresh  from  West  Point,  he 
hunted  jack-rabbits  through  the  scrub 
oaks  and  sage  brush  in  the  San  Luis 
valley.  It  was  great  sport,  and  as 
Paul  had  the  good  luck  to  knock  over 
a  big  jack,  he  returned  to  the  post 
elated  with  his  success. 

His  friend's  business  proved  to  be  of 
a  nature  not  suspected  by  Paul,  who 
incidentally  learned  that  Mr.  Hatfield 
had  lost  his  heart  to  the  charming 
daughter  of  a  rich  rancher  down  the 
valley.  This  accounted  for  the  late 
arrival  of  the  lieutenant  at  the  post 
that  night  after  an  all  day's  absence 
and  for  the  glum  looks  he  wore  as 
they  rode  to  the  station  next  morning 
in  the  ambulance. 

Paul  rallied  his  friend  on  his  lugu 
brious  aspect,  and  his  lively  sallies 


IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES    25 

finally  elicited  a  hearty  laugh  from 
the  young  officer,  who  apologized  for 
his  dullness.  At  Anamosa  they  en 
gaged  seats  in  the  stage  coach  w.hich 
was  to  carry  them  through  to  Lake 
City,  and  at  10  o'clock  the  conveyance 
started,  Paul  and  the  lieutenant  set 
tling  themselves  for  an  all-night  ride 
to  Wagon  Wheel  Gap. 

At  daylight  the  next  morning  the 
two  comrades  jumped  out  to  stretch 
their  cramped  limbs  and  for  an  hour 
trudged  alongside  the  horses  that  toiled 
up  a  steep  incline.  At  the  summit 
the  driver  halted  to  breathe  his  team 
and,  pointing  with  his  whip  across  the 
intervening  yalley,  oracularly  observed: 
"Deer  yander. " 

Paul's  eyes  danced  with  excitement 
as  he  took  in  the  graceful  contour  of 
the  slender  animals  that,  scenting  the 
strangers,  suddenly  darted  back  into 
the  woods.  Hearing  the  sigh  of  dis 
appointment  which  escaped  him  the 
lieutenant  laughingly  exclaimed: 
"Never  mind,  Paul,  I  promise  you 
plenty  of  sport  when  we  get  to  camp." 

It  had  been  settled  that  before  go 
ing  to  Silverton  Paul  was  to  leave  the 


26     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

coach  at  Los  Pinos  and  accompany 
Lieutenant  Hatfield  to  his  command, 
which  was  camped  forty  miles  north  of 
the  agency.  There  had  been  trouble 
with  the  Utes  some  months  previous, 
necessitating  the  presence  of  troops,  and 
although  the  excitement  had  abated 
the  regulars  still  remained  in  the  field. 

At  Los  Pinos  an  ambulance  from 
the  camp  was  found  awaiting  the  ar 
rival  of  the  coach,  into  which  Paul 
and  his  friend  climbed,  after  eating  a 
hearty  dinner  at  the  agency  mess.  A 
dusty  ride  through  the  reservation  be 
hind  four  spanking  mules  brought  them 
to  the  camp  just  in  time  for  supper, 
to  which  meal  both  did  ample  justice. 
Paul's  appetite,  never  particularly  poor, 
had  materially  improved  since  his  ad 
vent  into  Colorado. 

The  army  officers,  from  the  colonel 
down,  gave  the  young  Chicagoan  a 
warm  welcome,  and  Paul  spent  a 
very  delightful  week  in  their  company. 
Owing  to  the  absence  of  the  captain 
on  sick  leave,  Mr.  Hatfield,  as  senior 
lieutenant,  was  in  command  of  his  troop, 
and  he  proved  a  capital  host.  He  ar 
ranged  many  pleasant  excursions  for 


IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES         27 

the  lad,  on  one  of  which  Paul^shot  his 
first  big  game,  a  fine  buck.  He  was 
even  permitted  to  accompany  the  lieu 
tenant  on  a  scouting  expedition  in  the 
neighborhood  of  White  River,  where 
some  unruly  Utes  were  reported. 

This  was  quite  a  notable  event  to 
him.  He  was  mounted  on  the  lieu 
tenant's  spare  horse,  sported  a  pair  of 
borrowed  spurs,  had  a  big  revolver 
strapped  to  his  belt  and,  wearing  a 
pair  of  gauntlets  and  a  gray  slouch  hat, 
rode  off  with  the  party  in  gallant  style. 
They  were  absent  from  camp  four 
days,  during  which  time  they  covered 
150  miles  and  saw  lots  of  game,  but 
no  Indians.  The  second  day  out  one 
of  the  sergeants  shot  a  magnificent  elk, 
some  steaks  off  which  the  lieutenant's 
'  'striker"  broiled  for  supper.  It  proved 
a  toothsome  dish  and,  washed  down 
with  clear  mountain  spring  water,  made 
a  delicious  meal. 

It  was  hard  to  say  good-by  to  his 
army  friends,  and  especially  to  the 
lieutenant,  from  whom  he  parted  with 
many  expressions  of  regret,  and  with 
the  fervent  hope  of  a  future  reunion. 
On  the  way  back  to  the  agency  the  am- 


28     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

bulance  halted  at  Chief  Ouray's  cabin, 
where  Paul  met  the  old  warrior  and 
his  squaw,  Chipeta,  who  offered  him 
a  bowl  of  soup,  but  the  previous  sight 
of  a  string  of  skinned  puppies  hang 
ing  near  the  shack  caused  the  lad  to 
decline  the  proffered  hospitality. 

The  fare  from  Pueblo  to  Anamosa, 
thence  by  stage  route  to  Los  Pinos, 
had  made  quite  an  inroad  on  Paul's 
slender  purse,  so,  after  resting  over 
night  at  the  agency,  he  decided  to  send 
his  valise  to  Silverton  by  express  and 
set  out  afoot  for  that  camp. 

His  outfit  consisted  of  a  blanket 
strapped  to  his  back,  in  which  were  a 
change  of  underclothing  and  a  few 
handkerchiefs.  On  his  person  he  car 
ried  a  comb,  toothbrush,  telescopic 
tin  cup,  a  pocketknife  and  a  small  re 
volver  which  Lieutenant  Hatfield  had 
pressed  upon  him  as  a  parting  gift. 
The  slouch  hat  that  he  had  worn  on 
the  scouting  expedition,  a  woolen  shirt 
and  stout  shoes  completed  his  tramp 
attire. 

The  alkali  dust  was  nearly  a  foot 
thick  on  the  trail,  so  Paul  quickly  took 
to  the  brush,  where  the  startled  sage 


IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES         29 

hens  flew  up  almost  in  his  face  as  he 
trudged  along.  For  a  time  he  amused 
himself  by  popping  at  them  with  his 
revolver,  but  as  he  hit  none  and  car 
tridges  were  scarce,  he  soon  desisted. 

At  mid-day  he  halted  near  a  moun 
tain  spring,  nibbled  some  crackers  and 
cheese  in  the  shade  of  a  huge  rock  and 
later  bathed  his  swollen  feet  in  the  cool 
stream.  It  was  a  scorching  hot  after 
noon,  and  often  Paul  was  tempted  to 
throw  away  his  blanket,  but  the  thought 
of  a  cold  night  camp  proved  a  stronger 
argument  than  the  broiling  sun.  That 
evening  he  found  lodging  at  a  rough 
frontier  hotel  in  Ouray  and  early  next 
morning  struck  boldly  out  over  the 
trail,  crossing  the  San  Juan  divide 
without  any  mishap. 

At  Mineral  Point  he  camped  over 
night,  and  from  there  trudged  on  to 
Animas  Forks.  Between  that  camp 
and  Silverton  he  had  an  awful  scare. 
He  was  plodding  through  the  dust, 
mentally  wondering  what  Mr.  Wilder 
would  think  of  his  experiences,  when 
forty  or  fifty  feet  ahead  he  spied  a  big 
black  bear  with  a  cub  by  her  side 


30  PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

trotting  unconcernedly  along  in  the 
middle  of  the  trail. 

Paul  stood  stock  still;  then  came  a 
strong  impulse  to  turn  and  run  back. 
But  the  next  minute,  to  his  delight, 
bruin  and  her  baby  slunk  off  into 
the  timber  and  disappeared.  Paul  took 
no  chances,  however,  but,  making  a 
grand  detour,  did  not  strike  the  trail 
again  until  he  was  a  mile  beyond  the 
dreaded  spot.  He  ruefully  thought  of 
his  revolver  and  realized  what  a  poor 
protection  it  offered  in  case  he  had 
been  compelled  to  test  its  powers. 

At  Silverton,  to  his  great  chagrin, 
Paul  found  that  Ernest  Horton  was 
out  prospecting  near  Bridal  Veil  Basin, 
and  was  not  expected  back  until  fall. 
This  was  a  bitter  disappointment  to 
the  lad,  who  had  counted  on  a  joyful 
meeting  with  his  former  school  chum, 
to  whom  he  had  written  announcing 
his  prospective  arrival.  But  at  the  post- 
office  he  found  a  card  from  Ernest 
reading  as  follows: 

CAMP  CHICAGO,  August  13,  188 — . 
Dear  Paul'.     Inquire  at  the  Silverton  Bank 
for  the  location  of  my  claim,  and  come  out  as 
soon  as  you  arrive  in  town.     Sorry  I  can't  be 


"PAUL  STOOD 
STOCK  S'lILL." 


IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES         31 

there  to  meet  you,  but  will  let  you  get  even 
with  me  up  here,  Can  give  you  lots  of  sport 
and  promise  you  a  jolly  visit.  As  ever,  your 
friend,  ERNEST. 

From  the  cashier  of  the  bank  Paul 
obtained  the  desired  information,  and 
after  getting  permission  to  leave  his 
valise  in  the  office,  so  as  to  save 
storage  charges,  he  renewed  his  lonely 
tramp  over  the  mountain  trail.  He 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  camp, 
although  it  was  nearly  dark  when,  in 
response  to  his  prolonged  "Hello, 
Horton  !"  the  flap  of  a  wall  tent  was 
pushed  aside  and  his  friend  appeared 
in  the  doorway,  his  figure  thrown  into 
strong  relief  by  the  glare  from  a  gen 
erous  camp  fire. 

"By  all  that's  glorious,  it's  Paul," 
shouted  Horton.  "Say,  but  I'm  glad 
to  see  you.  Come  in  and  meet  the 
boys.  Here,  Dave,  Ned,  Harry,  let 
me  introduce  my  friend  from  Chicago, 
Paul  Travers, "  and  in  a  minute  Paul's 
hand  was  warmly  gripped  by  three 
sturdy  young  miners,  who  cordially 
welcomed  him  to  their  camp. 

The  two  friends  spent  the  evening 
in  exchanging  mutual  reminiscences  of 


32     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

school  days,  Ernest's  companions  mean 
time  sewing  industriously  on  certain 
garments  that  needed  repairing.  Oc 
casionally  they  interrupted  the  flow 
of  conversation  to  ask  some  questions, 
but  only  at  rare  intervals,  so  that 
when  it  was  time  to  turn  in  each  had 
pumped  the  other  nearly  dry. 

Ernest  warmly  approved  Paul's  de 
sign  to  put  a  girdle  around  the  globe, 
but  said  he  had  no  intention  of  let 
ting  him  start  until  he  had  paid  the 
camp  a  long  visit.  He  explained  that 
he  and  his  three  comrades  had  formed 
a  partnership  to  do  prospecting  that 
season  and  had  entered  several  prom 
ising  claims,  one  of  which  they  ex 
pected  to  sell  to  a  Boston  syndicate. 
The  fishing  in  the  mountain  streams 
was  good,  the  hunting  was  excellent, 
and  if  Paul  wanted  other  exercise  he 
might  handle  a  pick  and  shovel  on 
one  of  their  recently  acquired  "pros 
pects." 

Ernest  was  a  royal  good  fellow,  and 
his  partners  proved  to  be  a  jolly  trio, 
who  insisted  on  treating  Paul  as  a 
guest  and  giving  him  the  best  of 
everything,  despite  his  protests.  The 


IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES         33 

healthy  outdoor  existence,  good  hours 
and  plain  food  imparted  a  rich  color 
to  the  lad's  cheeks  and  sent  the  blood 
coursing  through  his  veins,  so  that 
when  the  time  for  leaving  arrived  he 
felt  strong  enough  to  surmount  any 
and  all  obstacles. 

It  had  been  a  delightful  fortnight. 
Hunting,  fishing  and  exploring  moun 
tain  fastnesses  had  caused  the  days 
to  glide  by  all  too  swiftly,  so  that 
Paul  was  reluctant  to  leave  the  camp. 
But  he  had  determined  to  reach  the 
coast  before  cold  weather  should  catch 
him  en  route,  so  he  manfully  resisted 
the  appeals  of  his  friends  to  remain 
longer,  and  one  bright,  crisp  morning 
toward  the  ist  of  September  started 
down  the  trail  with  a  hearty  God 
speed  from  the  quartet  that  assembled 
to  see  him  off. 

In  his  pocket  he  carried  a  letter 
of  introduction  to  the  agent  of  the 
stage  line  at  Silverton,  who  was  a 
brother  to  Dave  Enderley,  one  of 
Ernest's  partners.  Guessing  the  state 
of  Paul's  finances,  Dave  had  suggested 
that  he  could  just  as  well  save  him 
coach  fare  to  Gunnison  City,  to  which 

3 


\ 


34     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

point  the  stage  ran.  Paul  gladly  ac 
cepted  the  proffered  kindness,  for  he 
dreaded  the  return  tramp  over  the 
divide,  the  recollection  of  his  narrow 
escape  from  the  bear  being  still  fresh 
in  his  mind. 

The  agent  proved  to  be  all  that 
Dave  had  depicted  him,  and  Paul 
was  deadheaded  through  to  Gunnison, 
the  only  expense  being  his  meals  on 
the  road.  But  even  these  were  costly, 
and  when  he  alighted  from  the  coach 
at  Gunnison  City  his  stock  of  cash 
was  reduced  to  three  dollars.  The  sit 
uation  began  to  grow  serious,  but  Paul 
knew  that  sooner  or  later  his  purse 
would  be  emptied,  so  he  did  not  borrow 
trouble. 

After  registering  at  the  only  hotel 
the  place  afforded  he  scrubbed  off 
some  of  the  dust  and  dirt,  ate  a 
dubious  meal  and  then  strolled  over 
to  what  the  old-timers  called  ' '  New- 
town,  "m  a  collection  of  tents  and  board 
shanties  that  marked  the  more  recently 
settled  portion  of  Gunnison  City. 

The  main  street  presented  an  odd 
appearance  to  the  eyes  of  the  obser 
vant  lad.  Dance  halls,  hurdy-gurdy 


IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  ROCKIES         35 

saloons,  cheap  clothing  stores  and  gam 
bling  houses  constituted  the  ' '  sub 
stantial  "  buildings,  which  consisted 
of  hastily  constructed  shanties  of 
dressed  lumber  that  were  conspicuous 
because  of  their  contrast  with  the 
prevailing  style  of  tent  architecture. 

There  was  the  usual  medley  of  mixed 
characters  that  may  be  met  in  all  new 
camps.  Clerks  from  the  states  in 
feverish  search  for  riches  and  with 
poorer  prospects  of  getting  them  than 
ever  before;  typical  miners,  stage  dri 
vers,  bullwhackers,  gamblers,  loafers 
and  roughs  of  all  descriptions,  with 
here  and  there  a  gaudily  dressed  fe 
male — the  advance  guard  of  her  gen 
tler  sisters.  No  wonder  Paul  was  fasci 
nated  by  the  strange  sights;  the  at 
mosphere  he  breathed  fairly  teemed 
with  excitement. 

A  crowd  that  was  constantly  pass 
ing  in  and  out  of  one  of  the  wooden 
psSaces  attracted  his  attention,  and 
with  boyish  curiosity  he  strayed  inside 
with  the  rest.  A  dance  was  in  prog 
ress  on  the  sanded  floor,  the  bars  on 
either  side  of  the  room  were  doing  a 
flourishing  business,  while  away  at  the 


36     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

rear  end  a  number  of  gamblers  bent 
over  a  green  table  where  a  man  sat 
dealing  cards  from  a  polished  steel  box 

Just  as  Paul  approached  this  corner 
there  was  an  excited  protest  from  one 
of  the  players,  followed  by  loud  and 
angry  cries  of  profanity.  Next  instant 
was  heard  a  sharp  report,  and  with  a 
fearful  groan  the  disputant  fell  in  a 
nerveless  heap  to  the  floor,  his  late 
associates  hastily  scattering  in  a  dozen 
different  directions. 

In  the  rush  Paul  was  borne  swiftly 
out  doors  and  before  he  could  fully 
realize  what  had  happened  he  found 
himself  running  a  foot  race  with  a 
strapping  young  fellow,  who  led  the 
way  in  the  direction  of  ' '  Oldtown, " 
and  whose  long  mustache  fluttered 
like  the  streamers  on  a  masthead,  as 
they  breasted  the  keen  night  air. 


CHAPTER  III. 

DOWN    TO    HARDPAN. 

PRESENTLY  both  slackened  their 
speed  and  settled  into  a  walk. 

"Pretty  tough  experience  that," 
observed  Paul's  companion,  with  a 
backward  wave  of  his  hand.  "Mighty 
glad  to  get  away  with  a  whole  skin, 
weren't  you  ? " 

' '  I  should  think  so.  I  had  no  idea 
what  sort  of  a  den  it  was  or  I  guess 
I  should  have  kept  out.  Nice  recep 
tion  to  give  a  stranger,  isn't  it?" 

The  other  laughed.  ' '  Oh,  well,  it's 
what  you  must  expect  in  these  boom 
towns,  where  all  the  scum  of  civiliza 
tion  is  collected;  ain't  a  bit  sorry  I'm 
going  away." 

"Then  you  don't  live  here?" 

"Oh,  no;  my  home  is  in  Denver; 
my  two  partners  and  I  had  an  offer 
of  plenty  of  carpenter  work  at  pretty 
stiff  prices;  so  as  trade  was  dull  at 
home  this  summer  we  came  up  here 

37 


38     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

by  wagon;  but  we  are  going  back  to 
morrow." 

"To  Denver?"  queried  Paul,  wist 
fully. 

' '  Yep !     Don't  live  there,  do  you  ? " 
' '  No,   but  I  am   headed   that  way. 
I  suppose   there's   no  chance    to   join 
your  party,   is  there  ?  " 

"I  don't  know;  can  you  cook?" 
Visions  of  his  experiences  in  camp 
at  Bridal  Veil  Basin  came  to  Paul's 
mind  as  he  hesitatingly  answered, 
"Well,  I'm  not  an  expert,  but  I  can 
make  good  coffee  and  can  turn  a  flap 
jack  without  spilling  the  batter  in  the 
fire." 

' '  Where  are  you  staying  ?  " 
"Over  at  the  Gunnison  House." 
"  Oh,  yes;  we're  camped  near  there; 
that's  our  tent  just  the  other  side  of 
the  prairie  schooner  you  see  with  the 
green  box.    Tell  you  what  I'll  do.     I'll 
speak  to  the   boys   to-night  about   it, 
and  if  you're  up  before  we  get  away 
in    the    morning    perhaps    I    can    fix 
you  out." 

Paul  was  profuse  in  his  thanks  and 
eagerly  promised  to  be  on  hand.  He 
did  not  sleep  soundly  owing  to  the 


DOWN  TO  HARDPAN  39 

number  of  bedfellows  that  forced 
their  acquaintance,  and  he  was  glad 
to  turn  out  at  daybreak  and  settle  his 
bill.  He  had  just  a  dollar  left  when 
this  was  done. 

His  companion  of  the  previous  night 
was  vigorously  splashing  around  in  a 
tin  basin  as  Paul  neared  the  wagon 
with  the  green  box.  Presently  he 
looked  up  and  with  a  cheery  "Hello, 
stranger,  you  did  make  it,  didn't  you  ?  " 
motioned  him  to  a  seat  on  an  inverted 
bucket. 

"Well,  what  luck?"  was  Paul's  anx 
ious  salutation. 

' '  First  rate.    We  don't  really  need 

a  cook,   but    I    managed    to    talk    the 

boys    into    the    idea,   so    they  agreed 

you  might  join  us.     Got  any  baggage?" 

\^'I  have  a  valise  at  the  hotel." 

"Better  get  it  over  here,  then,  be 
cause  we  want  to  make  an  early  start. " 

Paul  fervently  expressed  his  obliga 
tion  for  these  good  offices  and  made 
a  bee-line  for  the  hotel,  returning  in 
a  few  minutes  with  his  grip. 

"Had  breakfast?"  asked  his  new 
acquaintance,  who  introduced  himself 
as  Jack  White. 


40     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

' '  No ;  I  was  too  early  and  didn't 
wait  for  fear  of  missing  you. " 

"All  right;  might  just  as  well  pitch 
in  now  and  show  what  you  can  do. 
There's  the  coffee  beans  and  you'll 
find  plenty  of  kindling  under  the 
wagon. " 

By  the  time  the  rest  of  the  outfit 
was  up  and  dressed  Paul  had  a  good 
fire  blazing  and  a  pot  of  coffee  almost 
boiled.  With  the  handle  of  a  ham 
mer  inserted  in  a  mustard  can  he 
had  pounded  his  beans  on  the  tire  of 
a  wagon  wheel  until  they  were  pretty 
well  pulverized,  and  having  mixed  up 
a  batter  and  heated  his  pan  he  was 
ready  to  fry  the  flapjacks.  Luckily, 
everything  went  off  without  a  hitch 
and  Jack's  two  comrades  voted  the 
new  cook  a  success. 

Down  the  Tomichi  River,  over  Mar 
shall  Pass  and  across  the  South  Park, 
the  little  caravan  wended  its  way, 
averaging  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
miles  a  day.  A  saddle  horse  that 
had  been  bought  from  an  impe 
cunious  prospector  was  allotted  to  Paul, 
who  generally  rode  ahead  of  the  party 
and  selected  the  camp  for  the  night. 


DOWN  TO  HARDPAN  41 

The  hunting  and  fishing  were  prime, 
his  duties  were  not  exacting,  and  his 
companions  were  sociable  and  good- 
natured,  so  that  the  trip  to  Denver 
was  almost  like  a  continuous  picnic  to 
the  young  traveler,  who  was  actually 
sorry  when  the  capital  city  of  the 
Centennial  State  was  reached. 

Paul's  first  night  in  Denver  was 
passed  on  a  pile  of  shavings  in  the 
workshop  occupied  by  Jack  White 
and  his  two  friends.  It  was  not  a 
choice  couch,  but  this  was  no  time  to 
be  squeamish,  and  wrapped  in  his 
faithful  blanket  the  lad  slept  as  con 
tentedly  as  if  he  were  in  his  own  bed 
at  home. 

"You  can  hold  this  down  as  long 
as  you  stay  here, "  said  Jack,  ' '  but  I 
suppose  you  will  be  moving  toward 
the' slope  before  the  week's  out.  eh?" 

Paul  thought  he  might,  but  hadn't 
quite  decided  just  when  he  would  leave 
town.  He  was  grateful  to  Jack  for  his 
kind  offer,  however,  and  told  him  so. 

"Oh,  that's  all  right.  Don't  cost 
a  cent  and  I  guess  you  won't  steal 
anything;  you  look  honest." 

A  budget  of  news  from  home  await- 


42     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

ed  him  at  the  postoffice  in  answer 
to  his  letters  mailed  at  Silverton.  All 
wondered  how  he  could  possibly  travel 
around  so  much  on  his  slim  capital, 
and  expressed  the  hope  that  he  would 
soon  be  with  them  again. 

But  Paul  had  no  intention  of  re 
turning  yet.  He  was  fairly  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  travel  and  was  de 
termined  to  prove  to  Mr.  Wilder  that 
it  was  no  idle  boast  he  had  made. 
It  did  seem  to  be  a  foolhardy  under 
taking,  as  he  mentally  confessed  that 
noon,  when,  after  writing  the  folks  to 
direct  their  next  letters  in  care  of 
the  general  delivery  at  San  Francisco, 
he  sat  with  his  last  quarter  in  his 
pocket,  eating  dinner  in  a  cheap  res 
taurant  on  Holliday  Street. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  grim  humor  of 
the  situation  that  lent  a  flavor  to  the 
meal  which  the  cooking  could  never 
have  imparted.  After  settling  his  bill 
he  would  be  down  to  hardpan,  but 
instead  of  feeling  alarmed  he  had 
only  curiosity  to  know  how  he  would 
fare.  He  stoutly  rejected  the  sugges 
tion  that  at  times  insinuated  itself  of 
writing  home  for  funds,  for,  although 


DOWN  TO  HARDPAN  43 

he  knew  they  would  be  forthcoming, 
he  was  also  aware  how  illy  his  father 
could  spare  any  money. 

'  *  No,  I  must  get  out  of  town,  and 
at  once,"  was  his  final  conclusion. 
"  If  I  have  to  work  for  my  meals  I 
might  just  as  well  do  it  on  the  road. 
I'll  start  to-day — now — just  as  soon  as 
I  finish  my  dinner." 

Paul  had  been  in  Denver  about  a 
week.  He  had  sold  his  valise  and 
reduced  his  wardrobe  to  the  single 
change  of  underclothing  strapped  in 
his  blanket.  His  marching  attire  was 
the  same  as  when  he  was  tramping 
over  the  mountain  trails.  There  was 
no  ticket  to  buy,  no  trunk  to  check, 
and  no  farewells  to  make,  except  to 
shake  hands  with  Jack  White.  All 
he  i^ad  to  do  was  to  strike  the  rail 
road  track  and  follow  the  ties  until  he 
reached  the  Union  Pacific  junction 
near  Cheyenne,  which  meant  a  tramp 
of  about  140  miles.  He  figured  that 
he  could  do  this  easily  in  six  days. 

Paul  was  a  novice  at  track  walking 
and  after  covering  the  first  five  miles 
he  felt  very  tired,  but  he  kept  doggedly 
on,  as  he  had  planned  to  pass  the 


44     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

night  at  Golden,  fourteen  miles  from 
Denver. 

While  he  was  limping  along  feeling 
decidedly  uncomfortable  and  lonesome 
he  came  suddenly  to  a  culvert  on 
which  was  seated  a  tall,  slim  lad  per 
haps  a  year  older  than  himself. 

"Walkin'  good?"  the  latter  asked, 
quizzically,  as  Paul  stepped  on  the 
cross-ties. 

4 '  Not  particularly.  How  far  is  it 
to  Golden?" 

"  Six  miles." 

Paul  groaned.  ' '  Why,  a  man  back 
there  about  a  mile  said  it  was  only 
three. " 

"Yes?  Well,  lem'me  tell  you  that 
the  fellows  out  here  make  mighty  curi 
ous  calculations.  A  Colorado  mile's 
equal  to  two  ordinary  ones  back  East, 
'specially  if  you're  walkin'.  Goin'  to 
stay  long  at  Golden?" 

"Only  over  night;  I'm  on  my  way 
to  Cheyenne." 

"Walk?" 

' '  I  guess  so. " 

1 '  Well,  that's  what  I  call  a  piece  of 
luck;  bound  that  far  myself.  What 
do  you  say,  shall  we  hoof  it  together?" 


DOWN  TO  HARDPAN  45 

Paul  signified  his  willingness  and 
sitting  on  the  culvert  with  his  feet 
dangling  alongside  those  of  his  com 
panion's  the  two  compared  notes. 
Neither  had  a  nickel,  but  both  were 
headed  for  San  Francisco  and  they 
solemnly  shook  hands  to  go  through 
as  ' '  partners. "  Paul's  new  acquaint 
ance  said  his  name  was  Dick  Tracy; 
that  he  had  wandered  up  to  Colorado 
from  Texas  and  had  concluded  to 
spend  the  winter  in  California. 

He  was  a  lively  youth  with  a  fund  of 
entertaining  stories  regarding  his  cowboy 
adventures  in  the  Lone  Star  State; 
not  particularly  clever,  but  sharp- 
witted,  owing  to  his  long  contact  with 
the  world.  His  experiences  gained 
while  on  the  tramp  were  invaluable 
to  them  in  their  present  plight,  as 
Paul  presently  discovered. 

The  miles  now  seemed  much  shorter, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  the  smoke 
from  the  smelters  at  Golden  were  un 
covered.  The  6  o'clock  whistles  were 
just  sounding  as  they  passed  the  little 
station  and  their  piercing  shriek  seemed 
to  intensify  the  fact  that  it  was  supper 
time. 


46     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

' '  See  here, "  observed  Dick,  as  the 
two  sat  on  an  empty  soap  box  at  the 
end  of  the  platform,  "you're  new  to 
this  sort  o'  thing.  Wait  here  for  me 
while  I  go  up  town  and  rustle  for  sup 
per.  I'll  be  back  in  three  shakes  of 
a  lamb's  tail,  see  if  I  don't,"  and  be 
fore  Paul  could  enter  a  protest  he 
was  off. 

Dick  managed  to  keep  his  word, 
returning  in  about  ten  minutes  with 
several  slices  of  bread  and  butter  and 
some  cold  steak  that  he  said  the  cook 
in  an  eating  house  had  handed  him 
from  the  back  door.  As  both  were 
hungry  they  made  short  work  of  the 
provisions,  afterward  rinsing  their 
throats  at  a  big  tank  near  the  station. 

4 '  Looks  dubious,  doesn't  it  ?  "  re 
marked  Paul  as  they  sat  on  the  edge 
of  the  platform  an  hour  later  after 
having  searched  in  vain  for  an  empty 
car  in  which  to  pass  the  night. 

"That's  what! "  returned  Dick,  sen- 
tentiously.  ' '  Guess  we'll  have  to 
crawl  under  that  pile  o'  ties  stacked 
over  yonder;  it's  the  best  thing  in 
sight" 

It  was  a  chilly  retreat,  but  the  boys 


DOWN  TO  HARDPAN  47 

were  pretty  tired  and  slept  soundly 
with  Paul's  blanket  wrapped  around 
their  shoulders.  They  awoke  early, 
made  their  toilet  at  the  tank,  and  at 
6  o'clock  Dick  said  he  guessed  he'd 
go  up  and  strike  the  cook  for  break 
fast. 

He  was  absent  about  half  an  hour, 
but  returned  with  full  hands.  ' '  Had 
to  split  some  wood,"  he  explained. 
' '  Cook  said  he  wouldn't  feed  no  more 
tramps  unless  they  did  a  spell  o'  work. 
Didn'tjiurt  myself,  though,"  he  added, 
with  a  chuckle.  "Pitch  into  this 
stuff,  Paul;  I  ate  all  I  could  hold  up 
there." 

From  Golden  to  Boulder,  thence  to 
Longmont,  Loveland  and  Fort  Collins, 
the  two  lads  tramped,  sleeping  in 
empty  box  cars  or  in  deserted  section- 
houses,  as  the  opportunity  presented. 
Paul  had  managed  to  overcome  his 
repugnance  to  ask  for  food,  but  never 
failed  to  offer  his  services  first.  Some 
times  he  was  given  a  stick  or  two  of 
wood  to  saw,  but  more  often  than 
not  his  fresh  young  face  won  the  de 
sired  meal  without  further  parleying. 

The  worst  part  of   the  journey  was 


48     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

now  before  the  pair.  From  Fort  Col 
lins  to  Lone  Tree  stretched  a  thirty- 
mile  desert,  absolutely  without  shade 
or  water;  so,  after  a  long  discussion, 
the  lads  decided  to  wait  until  sunset 
before  attempting  its  passage.  They 
passed  the  afternoon  in  sleeping  near 
the  fair  grounds,  and  on  awaking 
had  a  refreshing  bath  in  an  irrigating 
ditch  adjacent.  Toward  6  o'clock  the 
boys  made  a  sorry  meal  on  the  rem 
nants  saved  from  dinner,  after  which 
they  bravely  started  down  the  track 
on  their  all-night  tramp. 

The  first  few  hours  were  beguiled 
by  lengthy  dissertations  on  favorite 
delicacies,  in  which  each  minutely  de 
scribed  his  ideal  dish,  but  finding  this 
was  provocative  of  hunger,  they  finally 
desisted  and  settled  into  a  dogged 
walk.  Toward  midnight  the  wind 
came  on  very  fresh,  and  the  howling 
of  the  coyotes  on  both  sides  of  the 
track  rendered  the  lads  slightly  un 
comfortable,  but  they  kept  closely  to 
gether,  and  although  neither  could 
see  the  other,  they  gathered  courage 
from  their  companionship. 

It  was  a  long   night   and  a  tedious 


DOWN  TO  HARDPAN  49 

tramp,  so  that  the  first  gray  streaks 
of  dawn  seemed  vexatiously  slow  in 
appearing.  Sunrise  found  them  in  the 
vicinity  of  a  deserted  section-house 
two  miles  from  Lone  Tree,  with  a 
record  of  twenty-eight  miles  to  their 
credit.  Utterly  exhausted,  the  boys 
spread  out  their  single  blanket,  and, 
throwing  themselves  upon  it,  sank  im 
mediately  into  deep  slumber. 

The  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens 
when  Paul  awoke,  hungry  and  stiff 
after  his  long  walk.  Dick  was  still 
snoring  in  the  shade  of  the  shanty, 
where  he  had  unconsciously  rolled  to 
escape  the  downpouring  rays  of  the 
sun.  A  shout  from  his  comrade 
caused  him  to  open  his  eyes,  emit  a 
long  yawn,  and  to  wonder  how  long 
they  had  slept. 

"Must  be  nearly  noon,  I  should 
judge,"  said  Paul,  glancing  upward. 
"Time  we  were  moving  on  to  Lone 
Tree  to  capture  breakfast." 

Lone  Tree  consisted  of  a  single 
ranch  and  the  new  section-house.  Dick 
said  he  would  take  the  ranch  while 
Paul  went  on  to  try  his  luck  at  the 
red-painted  house  adjoining  the  track. 


50     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

A  little  woman,  carrying  a  big  baby, 
answered  his  knock  at  the  kitchen 
door. 

1 '  Can  you  do  anything  to  pay  for 
a  dinner?"  she  said,  repeating  Paul's 
question,  meantime  eyeing  him  critic 
ally.  ' '  I  guess  you  can.  Jest  take 
that  bucket  and  go  to  the  tank  and 
fill  it  with  water;  after  that  mebbe  I'll 
have  somethin'  for  you  to  eat." 

Paul  trudged  off  with  the  wooden 
pail,  and,  presently  returning,  set  it 
down  in  the  kitchen  sink.  A  big  pile 
of  unwashed  dishes  stood  on  a  low 
bench,  and  through  an  open  doorway 
the  remnants  of  a  meal  were  discer 
nible  on  the  dining-room  table. 

While  Paul  discussed  a  generous 
plate  of  corned  beef  and  cabbage  the 
little  woman  sat  on  a  chair  and  told 
her  troubles.  She  was  the  wife  of  the 
section  boss,  with  six  men  to  board; 
her  baby  was  only  a  month  old  and 
her  hired  girl  had  left  her  only  two 
days  before  on  half  an  hour's  notice. 
She  was  utterly  tired  out  and  would 
feel  very  grateful  if  Paul  would  stay 
and  assist  her  in  the  kitchen  until  she 
could  engage  help  from  Cheyenne. 


DOWN  TO  HARDPAN  51 

As  the  delay  of  a  few  days  mat 
tered  little  to  Paul  he  readily  con 
sented  to  remain  and  cheerfully  set 
to  work  on  the  pile  of  dishes  as  soon 
as  he  finished  his  dinner,  or,  rather, 
breakfast.  When  Dick  came  up  an 
hour  later  he  found  Paul  installed  at 
an  open  window  in  the  little  sitting-room 
with  a  fat  baby  in  his  lap  that  was 
crooning  away  in  great  glee. 

"Must  ha'  struck  some  o'  yer  rela 
tions,  I  reckon,"  ejaculated  Dick,  with 
a  broad  grin  on  his  freckled  face. 

"No,  sir;  I  have  hired  out  as  assist 
ant  dishwasher  and  nurse  to  the  fam 
ily.  Please  go  away;  we  don't  want 
any  tramps  around  here."  Then,  as 
Dick  grinned  again  in  appreciation  of 
this  joke,  Paul  asked,  "Did  they  treat 
you  well  over  yonder?" 

"Jest  a  hand-out,  that's  all.  No 
good  there  to-night,  though,"  added 
Dick,  disconsolately. 

' '  Oh,  well,  I  guess  I  can  fix  you 
out  if  you  hang  around  here,  but 
keep  shady,  as  I  wouldn't  want  them 
to  think  I  was  in  league  with  a  gang 
of  tramps." 

Paul  stayed  three  days  at   the  sec- 


52     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

tion-house,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
the  little  woman  had  inveigled  a  stout 
Norwegian  girl  from  Cheyenne  to 
Lone  Tree.  The  section  boss  gave  him 
two  dollars  for  his  trouble  and  passed 
him  on  to  Union  Pacific  junction  by 
the  regular  passenger  train.  Dick 
had  gone  up  the  night  previous  on  a 
freight,  having  agreed  to  meet  Paul 
at  the  junction  next  day. 

And  there  they  did  meet,  but  not 
as  either  had  expected.  When  Paul 
jumped  from  the  train  he  asked  one 
of  the  station  hands  if  he  had  seen  a 
lad  answering  to  Dick's  description. 

' '  Sort  of  a  tall,  freckled-faced  duck, 
with  long  hair  an'  high  cheek  bones, 
wan't  he?" 

"Yes,   I  guess  that's  Dick." 

"Well,  I  reckon  he's  in  the  freight- 
house  stretched  out  acrosst  two  bar 
rels,  deader'n  a  door  nail ;  the  crowner's 
in  there  now." 

"Dead!  Dick  dead!  What  do  you 
mean?" 

"Killed  last  night  on  No.  6.  Went 
ter  sleep  on  the  brakes  an'  got  his 
head  crushed.  You'll  find  out  all  ther 


AT  THE 
SECTION  HOUSE. 


DOWN  TO  HARDPAN  53 

perticklers  in  there  if  you  ask  ther 
crowner. " 

It  was  horrible,  but  only  too  true,  as 
Paul  discovered  when  he  entered  the 
freight  room.  His  late  comrade  lay 
outstretched  on  a  board,  around  which 
stood  six  men  in  charge  of  the  coro 
ner  from  Cheyenne,  a  verdict  of  acci 
dental  death  while  stealing  a  ride 
having  just  been  rendered. 

There  was  nothing  on  the  body  to 
identify  the  remains,  and  Paul  could 
only  say  that  the  name  of  the  dead 
lad  was  Tracy  and  that  his  home  was 
somewhere  in  Texas.  As  this  infor 
mation  shed  no  light  on  the  case  the 
coroner  curtly  ordered  the  body  to  be 
sent  to  Cheyenne  for  burial,  and  the  last 
look  Paul  had  of  his  late  companion 
was  when  he  lay  in  a  cheap  pine 
coffin  awaiting  transportation  to  the 
city.  He  turned  away  with  a  sicken 
ing  feeling  at  his  heart.  It  might  be 
his  fate  any  moment. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TRAVELING   IN    QUEER   COMPANY. 

FOR  many  hours  Paul  wandered 
aimlessly  through  the  streets  of  Chey 
enne,  so  utterly  depressed  in  spirit 
because  of  Dick's  tragic  death  that  he 
felt  no  desire  to  eat,  even  had  he 
possessed  the  means  to  pay  for  a 
meal.  About  4  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon,  when  his  stomach  vigorously 
rebelled  against  its  prolonged  fast,  the 
lad  mechanically  bent  his  steps  to 
ward  a  restaurant,  but  just  before 
entering  it  he  suddenly  remembered 
that  the  money  given  him  by  the 
section  boss  was  gone. 

On  the  way  to  Cheyenne  from  the 
junction  Paul  had  encountered  a  gang 
of  tramps,  some  of  the  members  of 
which  had  relieved  him  of  his  blanket 
and  underclothes  and  coolly  appropri 
ated  his  knife,  revolver,  tin  cup  and 
the  two-dollar  bill,  but  had  allowed 
him  to  retain  his  tooth  brush  and  pocket 
comb,  for  which  articles,  apparently, 

54 


TRAVELING  IN  QUEER  COMPANY         55 

none   of   the  party    had   the   slighest 
use. 

Thankful  to  get  off  with  a  whole 
skin,  and  with  the  clothes  he  wore, 
Paul  had  submitted  philosophically  to 
the  robbery,  seeing  that  it  was  worse 
than  useless  to  enter  any  protest,  but 
the  incident  had  not  tended  to 
elevate  his  spirits,  and,  more  down 
hearted  than  ever,  he  continued  his 
tramp  into  town.  Turning  disconso 
lately  from  the  restaurant  he  spied  a 
pleasant-faced  boy  standing  in  the 
doorway  of  a  grocery  store,  with 
whom,  after  a  short  parley,  he  managed 
to  trade  a  natural  agate  for  a  piece 
of  cheese  and  a  handful  of  crackers. 

The  edge  of  his  hunger  worn  off, 
he  continued  his  tramp  around  town 
until  the  gathering  dusk  warned  him 
he  had  better  hunt  sleeping  quarters 
for  the  night.  At  9  o'clock,  after 
meeting  repeated  rebuffs,  Paul  grew 
desperate,  and  approaching  a  blue- 
coated  man  standing  under  a  gas 
lamp  inquired  if  he  could  help  him  to 
a  night's  lodging. 

' '  Can  I  ?  Well,  I  should  say  so. 
What  are  you  doing  around  here, 


56     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

anyway?"  the   man   demanded   in   an 
authoritative  voice. 

Paul  explained  that  he  was  a 
stranger  and  had  no  money. 

"Oh,  you  haven't,  eh?  Well,  I 
can  fix  you  out,  young  fellow;  just 
come  with  me,"  and  up  the  street  he 
started,  half  dragging  the  unwilling 
lad,  who  began  to  suspect  the  lodging 
provided  might  not  be  at  all  to  his 
liking. 

This  suspicion  shortly  became  a 
certainty,  when,  after  traversing  a  few 
blocks,  the  burly  stranger  pushed  the 
hesitating  youth  up  a  stairway,  over 
the  entrance  to  which  was  a  lamp 
bearing  the  legend  "City  Hall"  in 
black  letters  on  the  glass.  Down  a 
long  corridor  Paul  was  marched  by 
his  captor,  who  by  this  time  had  an 
nounced  himself  as  the  city  marshal. 

Halting  before  an  iron-grated  door 
the  officer  produced  a  big  key,  which 
he  fitted  to  the  lock  and  turned  the 
bolt  back  with  a  smart  snap  that 
sent  a  shiver  through  the  frame  of 
his  prisoner,  who  realized  with  pain 
ful  suddenness  that  he  was  about  to 
be  thrust  into  jail.  The  thought  was 


TRAVELING  IN  QUEER  COMPANY         57 

so  agonizing  that  he  turned  fiercely 
upon  the  marshal  and  protested  ve 
hemently  against  the  indignity. 

"You  keep  quiet,  youngster,  or 
mebbe  you'll  get  more  than  you  bar 
gained  for.  We  have  just  one  place 
for  all  tramps  and  vagrants.  Inside 
here  you  stay  until  8  o'clock  to-morrow 
morning,  and  if  you  don't  pull  your 
freight  then,  lively,  like  as  not  you'll 
get  sent  up  for  sixty  days." 

It  was  a  bitter  dose  for  the  poor 
lad,  but  Paul  had  no  recourse.  Ar 
gument  with  the  bullet-headed  officer 
was  useless,  so,  swallowing  his  indig 
nation  along  with  a  few  salty  tears, 
he  passed  through  the  heavily  barred 
door,  which  closed  with  a  bang.  Then 
Paul  found  himself  in  a  large  cell,  in 
the  center  of  which  a  smoky  oil  lamp 
shed  its  dim  rays  over  the  room, 
emitting  at  the  same  time  a  most 
villainous  smell. 

As  soon  as  he  became  accustomed 
to  the  uncertain  light  Paul  discerned 
a  dozen  shapeless  forms,  wrapped  in 
blankets,  strung  out  around  the  brick- 
walled  chamber,  from  some  of  which 
the  most  unmelodious  snores  emanat- 


5^     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

ed.  A  drunken  brute  in  one  corner, 
who  persisted  in  filling  the  air  with 
his  idiotic  yells,  was  being  kicked 
into  silence  by  two  wakeful  tramps, 
whose  rest  the  noisy  reveler  had  dis 
turbed,  and  a  general  uprising  was 
threatened,  when  the  crazed  wretch 
fell  back  into  unconsciousness  and  the 
agitated  blankets  returned  to  their  for 
mer  appearance  of  torpidity. 

Not  a  pleasant  situation  for  a  deli 
cately  nurtured  lad  to  be  placed  in, 
and  Paul's  heart  was  like  lead  as  he 
thought  of  passing  the  night  in  such 
hideous  company.  A  single  window 
at  the  farther  end  of  the  cell,  guarded 
by  iron  bars,  admitted  a  sickly  glare 
from  a  street  lamp,  and  toward  this 
spot  Paul  picked  his  way,  the  broad 
sill  suggesting  to  him,  in  the  absence 
of  chair  or  table,  a  possible  camping 
place  for  the  night  where  he  would 
at  least  be  semi-detached  from  the 
other  inmates. 

With  his  back  against  the  casing 
and  his  feet  planted  on  the  opposite 
side,  Paul  managed  to  snatch  a  few 
hours  of  sleep,  but  racking  nightmares 
haunted  his  rest  and  several  times 


TRAVELING  IN  QUEER  COMPANY    59 

before  daylight  he  awoke  from  fright 
ful  dreams,  in  which  he  suffered  men 
tal  tortures. 

The  first  to  open  his  eyes  in  the 
morning,  he  had  ample  opportunity  to 
study  his  fellow  lodgers  before  they 
awoke.  A  more  disreputable  gather 
ing  it  would  have  been  hard  to  find 
anywhere,  and  Paul  shuddered  as  he 
surveyed  the  brutal  faces  of  the 
sleepers,  who  appeared  even  more 
repulsive  in  the  gray  dawn. 

On  the  walls  of  the  cell,  once  white, 
were  scratched  dozens  of  fanciful,  if 
not  elegant,  nicknames  of  the  various 
choice  visitors  that  on  former  occasions 
had  been  compulsory  guests  of  this 
queer  lodging  house.  Here  and  there 
were  grinning  skulls,  startlingly  sug 
gestive  hanging  scenes,  hideous  cari 
catures,  ribald  verses,  and  other 
illustrations  of  like  nature,  penciled  by 
rude  artists  whose  term  of  incarceration 
had  been  beguiled  in  this  manner. 
The  lad's  cheeks  burned  with  honest 
blushes  as  he  contemplated  this 
offensive  decoration,  and  he  suddenly 
experienced  an  acute  nostalgic  attack 


60     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

that  almost  made  him  forswear  his 
tramp  and  resolve  to  return  home. 

Suddenly  he  was  aware  of  a  pair 
of  black  eyes  watching  him  from  be 
low,  and  presently  their  owner 
straightened  up,  threw  off  his  blanket, 
and  disclosed  the  features  of  a  man 
who  might  have  been  anywhere  be 
tween  the  age  of  thirty  and  forty,  a 
closer  estimate  being  impossible  to 
make,  owing  to  the  accumulation  of 
dirt  he  carried. 

"Whatcher  in  fer?"  he  demanded 
of  Paul.  "Liftin'?" 

Paul  was  shrewd  enough  to  guess 
this  meant  stealing,  so  he  shook  his 
head  negatively,  adding,  half  humor 
ously:  "Reckon  the  marshal  was 
afraid  I  might  run  away  with  the 
town,  though,  so  he  put  me  in  here 
for  fear  of  accidents." 

The  owner  of  the  black  eyes  and 
dirty  face  condescended  to  grin  at  this 
flippancy  and  then  observed,  "Trampin' 
it,  eh?" 

1 '  Trying  to, "  answered  Paul.  ' '  I 
want  to  get  through  to  San  Francisco." 

"'Frisco?  Oh,  yer  do!  Coin'  ter 
walk  there,  I  s'pose?  Nice  time  yell 


TRAVELING  IN  QUEER  COMPANY         6l 

have  crossin'  the  mountains.  Me  an' 
Seldom  Seen's  bound  that  far,  but 
we  don't  do  no  walkin',  though,  does 
we,  Seldom?"  and  the  speaker  turned 
toward  a  man  with  agrizzled  beard  whose 
frowzy  head  had  just  emerged  from  a 
villainous  blanket. 

"Not  none,"  growled  the  newly- 
awakened  tramp.  "We  never  walks 
nowheres,  we  don't." 

' '  But  you  can't  afford  to  ride  all 
the  time,  though,  can  you?"  queried 
Paul. 

The  grizzled  tramp  laughed  derisive 
ly  at  this  exhibition  of  innocence. 

"  O'  course  we  kin.  An'  we  allers 
takes  a  Poolmin  box-car  an'  has  ther 
drorin'-room  section  ter  ourselves." 
Then,  with  mock  gravity,  he  inquired 
of  his  partner:  "Jimmy,  did  yer 
engage  er  t'rough  sleeper  to  Ogden 
fer  us  las'  night?" 

' '  Ye  bet  1  did, "  answered  his  com 
rade,  whose  full  cognomen  Paul  dis 
covered  was  Jimmy-Hit-the-Road-a- 
Welt.  ' '  Got  a  private  parler  reserved, 
an'  we  pulls  out  ter  night,  sure." 

"Good     'miff,"     returned     Seldom 


62     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES  . 

Seen.  ' '  That'll  get  us  ter  Salt  Lake 
nex'  Friday. " 

In  his  talks  with  Dick  Tracy  Paul 
had  learned  how  cleverly  the  expert 
tramps  "spring"  open  the  doors  of 
box-cars  to  steal  rides;  but  he  also 
knew  that  it  was  a  dangerous  practice 
as  well  as  a  state's  prison  offense;  yet 
he  was  strongly  tempted  to  ask  these 
two  worthies  to  let  him  accompany 
them,  if  only  for  the  sake  of  the  ex 
perience  he  might  gain.  He  deter 
mined  to  make  the  venture. 

"Say,  Jimmy,"  he  began,  somewhat 
nervously,  ' '  do  you  suppose  I  could 
join  you  and  Seldom  Seen  in  this 
trip,  or  will  it  interfere  with  your 
plans?" 

"  Come,  fer  all  I  keer,"  said  Jimmy. 
"Wot  do  you  say,  Seldom?" 

1 '  I  sez  let  ther  kid  in  ef  he  ain't 
afraid  ter  resk  his  precious  carkiss. " 

"It's  a  go,  then,"  cried  Paul,  by 
way  of  a  clincher,  "and  I'm  willing 
to  take  all  chances  if  you  are." 

By  this  time  the  rest  of  the  inmates 
of  the  cell  had  come  out  of  their 
semi-comatose  state,  and  presently  a 
jailer  appeared  with  some  chunks  of 


TRAVELING  IN  QUEER  COMPANY    63 

coarse,  dry  bread  and  a  big  pannikin 
full  of  steaming  liquor  which  Jimmy 
declared  was  "corfy."  Paul  scalded 
his  mouth  with  a  cup  of  the  dark 
mixture  and  gnawed  away  at  the  dry 
bread,  a  thick  slice  of  which  was 
tossed  to  him  by  the  surly  official, 
whose  curses  were  liberally  bestowed 
with  his  more  tangible  offerings. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  door  opened 
again  and  the  city  marshal  entered  to 
release  those  against  whom  no  charges 
were  pending.  Paul  was  dismissed 
with  a  caution;  while  Seldom  Seen 
and  Jimmy-Hit-the-Road-a-Welt  were 
threatened  with  severe  penalties  if 
they  did  not  make  themselves  scarce. 
Then  the  chief  of  police  pointed  to 
the  door,  and  Paul,  followed  by  Sel 
dom  Seen  and  Jimmy,  led  the  way 
downstairs  and  out  into  God's  fresh 
air,  which  to  the  lad  had  never  be 
fore  seemed  so  pure  and  precious. 

"Ain't  got  any  scads,  I  persume?" 
was  Jimmy's  first  question,  when  the 
trio  had  put  several  blocks  between 
them  and  their  late  sleeping  quarters. 

"I  suppose  you  mean  money,"  re 
turned  Paul.  ' '  I  had  two  dollars 


64     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

yesterday,  but  I  fell  among  thieves 
on  my  way  to  Jericho — I  mean 
Cheyenne — and  they  'lifted,'  as  you 
call  it,  all  my  loose  change,  together 
with  various  other  of  my  belongings. 
No,  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  am  flat 
broke." 

"Oh,  well,  it  ain't  no  consekence, " 
said  Jimmy,  grandiloquently.  ' '  Sel 
dom  Seen  kin  step  inter  ther  First 
Nash'nal  Bank  an'  get  a  draft  cashed, 
can't  yer,  old  man?" 

' '  Onforch'nitly  ther  ain't  nobody 
here  as  kin  identerfy  me,  'cept  ther 
city  marshal,"  remarked  Seldom,  with 
a  serious  air,  "an"  I  hates  ter  ask 
any  favors  from  these  yer  petty 
offishals.  Reckon  we'll  have  ter  worry 
along  ontel  I  gets  my  nex'  remittance 
at  Salt  Lake." 

"You  see,  we'll  have  ter  take  along 
some  grub, "  explained  Jimmy,  ' '  but, 
in  course,  if  you're  broke  yer  can't  do 
nothin'.  Me  and  Seldom'll  put  in 
ther  day  rustlin'  an'  mebbe  you'd 
better  try  yer  luck,  too,  'cause  we'll 
need  three  or  four  days'  rations,  sure." 

"Tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  exclaimed 
Paul,  a  brilliant  idea  occurring  to  him. 


TRAVELING  IN  QUEER  COMPANY         65 

' '  I'll  go  out  to  Camp  Carlin,  where  I 
have  some  army  acquaintances,  and  I 
shouldn't  wonder  if  they'll  let  me  have 
enough  provender  for  us  all.  What 
do  you  think  of  the  scheme?" 

The  two  professionals  both  heartily 
approved  it,  and  after  designating  a 
rendezvous  for  that  evening,  this  curi 
ously  assorted  trio  separated,  Paul 
starting  out  on  a  brisk  walk  for  Camp 
Carlin,  which  lay  three  miles  north  of 
the  city. 

Lieutenant  Hatfield  had  often  spo 
ken  to  Paul  of  a  classmate  named 
Boyd,  who  was  stationed  at  Carlin, 
and  whom  he  had  painted  as  a  royal 
good  fellow.  It  was  on  the  bare 
chance  of  finding  him  at  the  post  that 
Paul  based  his  hopes  of  success.  For 
tunately  he  was  not  doomed  to  dis 
appointment,  and  Paul  had  only  to 
introduce  himself  as  a  friend  of  Hat- 
field's  to  be  cordially  welcomed  and 
entertained  by  the  lieutenant,  who  later 
loaded  him  down  with  provisions  from 
his  own  mess  when  he  learned  of  its 
contemplated  use. 

In  the  basket,  which  the  lieutenant's 
"striker"  had  filled  with  cold  chicken, 


66     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

fresh  bread  and  several  pies,  was  also 
placed  a  small  flask  of  brandy  that 
Mr.  Boyd  suggested  would  be  useful 
in  case  any  of  the  party  should  fall  ill 
on  the  journey.  Thus  liberally  weighted 
down  Paul  set  out  at  dusk  for  the 
city,  heading  direct  for  the  rendez 
vous,  where  he  found  his  queer  ac 
quaintances  awaiting  his  arrival. 

As  soon  as  it  was  fairly  dark  the 
three  started  for  the  railroad  yards, 
accompanied  by  a  friend  of  Jimmy's, 
who  had  been  impressed. to  cover  up 
their  tracks,  after  breaking  into  the  car. 
Seldom  Seen  led  the  way  straight  to 
ward  some  freight  cars  standing  on  a 
side-track  that  were  awaiting  trans 
portation  to  the  West,  and  which  he 
had  previously  located.  With  a  beat 
ing  heart,  Paul  watched,  while  the 
three  experts,  with  incredible  swift 
ness,  unscrewed  the  nuts  that  held 
fast  the  sliding  door  of  the  box-car, 
and  then,  by  means  of  a  flat  board 
used  as  a  lever,  pried  the  door  open 
from  the  bottom  until  there  was  space 
enough  to  admit  a  human  being.  This 
done,  Seldom  Seen  quietly  and  dex 
terously  v/riggled  into  the  car,  motion- 


TRAVELING  IN  QUEER  COMPANY    67 

ing  Paul  to  follow.  Awkwardly  enough, 
and  with  some  trepidation,  the  lad 
shinned  through  the  aperture,  but  not 
without  severely  bruising  his  shoulder- 
blades  and  knees  in  the  attempt. 

Jimmy  next  passed  up  the  basket  of 
provisions  and  two  lard  cans  filled  with 
water,  which  Seldom  Seen  carefully 
stowed  away  in  a  secure  place.  Then, 
as  silently  and  as  skillfully  as  his  part 
ner,  Jimmy  wormed  himself  through 
the  opening  and  called  softly  that 
everything  was  all  right.  The  next 
minute  the  board  was  withdrawn,  the 
door  sprung  back  into  position,  the 
nuts  carefully  replaced  by  the  friendly 
tramp,  and  Paul  was  left  in  inky  dark 
ness  with  two  presumably  tough  citi 
zens  whom  he  had  known  just  eight 
een  hours.  No  wonder  that  he  was 
seized  with  a  sudden  nervous  fit  and 
an  ardent  desire  to  be  safe  outside 
breathing  the  free  air  of  Heaven  again. 

Barely  had  the  trio  managed  to  fit 
into  comfortable  niches  among  the 
merchandise  piled  in  the  car  when  a 
noise  outside  proclaimed  the  appear 
ance  of  the  yardmen  for  the  purpose 
of  making  up  a  train.  Backward  and 


68  PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

forward  from  one  track  to  another  the 
car  was  switched  until  the  entire  train, 
composed  of  fast  freight,  was  ready 
for  its  journey  to  the  West.  Mean 
time  absolute  silence  was  maintained 
by  the  imprisoned  tramps,  for  the 
yardmen  have  quick  ears,  and  discov 
ery  meant  at  least  sixty  days  in  the 
county  jail.  By  the  time  the  train 
was  ready  to  start  Paul's  uneasiness 
had  subsided  to  such  an  extent  that 
he  dozed  off  into  unconsciousness, 
from  which  he  did  not  emerge  until 
the  night  had  far  advanced  and  the 
incessant  rumbling  of  the  wheels  and 
continuous  jerking  of  the  cars  told  him 
he  was  fairly  started  on  his  journey 
toward  the  Pacific  Coast. 

The  atmosphere  in  the  car  was  heavy 
and  almost  stifling,  a  small  grated  aper 
ture  near  the  roof  at  one  end  ad 
mitting  homeopathic  doses  of  fresh 
air.  A  violent  headache  that  soon  at 
tacked  Paul  rendered  sleep  out  of  the 
question,  and  as  he  tossed  restlessly 
on  the  hard  boxes  that  formed  his 
couch  his  thoughts  were  not  of  the 
pleasantest.  Visions  of  dreadful  acci 
dents  floated  before  his  perturbed 


TRAVELING  IN  QUEER  COMPANY        69 

brain,  and  all  the  newspaper  reports 
that  he  had  read  of  railroad  disasters 
were  painfully  fresh  in  his  memory. 
When  at  length  he  did  sleep  it  was 
only  to  experience  a  series  of  dire  mis 
haps  in  his  troubled  dreams,  which 
were  so  realistic  that  he  awoke  from 
time  to  time  with  the  perspiration 
standing  in  big  beads  on  his  forehead. 
He  heard  his  companions  convers 
ing  in  low  tones  when  he  finally  re 
gained  consciousness  next  morning, 
but  his  head  was  so  hot  and  his  throat 
so  dry  that  his  voice  sounded  like  its 
own  ghost  when  he  asked  softly  for  a 
drink  of  water.  A  pull  at  the  tin  pail 
helped  to  freshen  him  up  a  bit,  and  a 
dash  of  brandy  that  Jimmy  insisted 
on  his  swallowing  cured  the  sickness 
in  his  stomach  caused  by  the  motion 
of  the  car.  Conversation  all  that  day 
and  the  next  was  confined  to  whis 
pers,  the  constant  passing  and  re- 
passing  of  the  brakemen  overhead 
rendering  such  a  precaution  necessary. 
All  three  ate  and  drank  sparingly, 
most  of  the  time  being  spent  in 
sleeping.  Two  days  and  two  nights 
of  this  was  an  experience  that  Paul 


70     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

mentally  determined  should  never  be 
repeated,  but  he  wisely  refrained  from 
giving  voice  to  his  thoughts  and  out 
wardly  appeared  perfectly  reconciled 
to  the  situation. 

Several  long  halts  had  been  made 
at  intervals  during  the  trip,  but  the 
two  old-timers  knew  the  route  so  well 
that  they  made  no  movement  to  get 
away,  and  it  was  not  until  the  car 
was  finally  detached  from  the  train 
and  side-tracked  that  Jimmy  announced 
their  arrival  at  Ogden.  It  was  the 
morning  of  the  third  day,  and  know 
ing  that  the  car  contained  perishable 
merchandise,  the  trio  hoped  for  speedy 
release  from  their  prison.  Nor  were 
they  disappointed.  Soon  after  day 
light  voices  were  heard  outside,  the 
seal  of  the  car  was  broken,  and  pres 
ently  the  door  was  rolled  back,  ad 
mitting  a  flood  of  delicious  fresh  air 
to  the  three  tramps,  who,  concealed 
behind  some  boxes,  awaited  an  op 
portunity  to  jump  and  run. 

"Now's  our  chance,"  whispered 
Jimmy,  after  taking  a  hurried  survey 
of  the  field.  The  yardmaster  had  dis 
appeared  and  the  teamster  was  busy 


TRAVELING  IN  QUEER  COMPANY.         71 

with  his  horses.  ' '  All  together,  now, 
jump!"  In  spite  of  their  cramped 
limbs  the  three  managed  to  make  a 
fairly  creditable  leap,  and  away  across 
the  tracks  they  dashed,  into  the  shad 
ow  of  a  convenient  lumber  pile,  al 
most  before  the  astonished  driver  knew 
what  had  happened. 

There  was  no  pursuit,  as  they 
quickly  discovered,  to  Paul's  infinite 
relief,  and  after  ten  minutes'  rapid 
walking  all  three  stopped  to  take  a 
breather,  which  was  rendered  impera 
tive  by  their  long  inactivity. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PAUL   FALLS   AMONG    FRIENDS. 

"On,  but  I'm  glad  to  get  out  of 
that  prison,"  Paul  feelingly  remarked 
as  soon  as  he  had  recovered  his  wind. 

"Lots  o'  wuss  places  'n  that,"  said 
Jimmy,  sententiously. 

"Well,  I  hope  I'll  never  find  them," 
was  the  fervent  rejoinder.  u  But,  say, 
fellows,  what  are  your  plans?" 

"Me  and  Jimmy's  goin'  ter  let 
Ogden  take  keer  of  us  fer  er  few 
days,"  broke  in  Seldom  Seen;  "an' 
mebbe  longer,  if  the  city  marshal  ain't 
too  pertickler  'bout  our  health.  You 
said  you  was  goin'  ter  Salt  Lake, 
didn't  yer?" 

"Yes,"  returned  Paul  in  a  decided 
tone,  glad  in  his  heart  to  know  that 
he  could  part  company  with  this  queer 
pair  without  appearing  ungrateful. 
"You  see,  I'm  anxious  to  take  a  peep 
at  the  tabernacle  and  other  of  Brigham 
Young's  curios,  to  say  nothing  of  a 


PAUL  FALLS  AMONG  FRIENDS  73 

plunge  in  the  big  salt  lake.  Better 
come  along." 

"Not  none,  "growled  Jimmy.  "Had 
all  we  wanted  o'  Salt  Lake  last  time 
we  went  up,  eh,  Seldom  ?" 

"I  should  smile,"  observed  that 
worthy,  scratching  his  grizzled  chin. 
"Some  o'  them  Mormons  is  wuss'n  a 
reg'mint  o'  depperty  sher'ffs.  Ain't 
got  no  regard  for  travelin'  toorists,  they 
ain't." 

Paul  laughed  merrily.  "Oh,  that's 
the  way  the  wind  blows,  is  it?  Well, 
then,  I  won't  urge  you.  Just  put  me 
on  the  right  road  and  I'll  pull  out 
lively." 

1 '  Easy  done,  that, "  drawled  Seldom 
Seen,  gathering  his  loose  limbs  to 
gether  and  slowly  rising.  "All  ye 
hev  ter  do  is  ter  folly  ther  track  off 
there  ter  the  left  an'  keep  walkin'  till 
yer  gits  ter  ther  city." 

•'How  far  do  you  call  it  from 
Ogden  ?" 

"  'Bout  thirty  miles  or  so,  I  reckon." 

Paul  groaned.  ' '  Nice  prospect  for  a 
fellow  with  tender  feet.  Well,  there's 
no  help  for  it,  I  guess,  so  the  sooner 
I  start  the  better." 


74     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

The  lad  put  out  his  hand,  and, 
awkwardly  enough,  wrung  the  grimy 
paw  of  Seldom  Seen,  then  performed 
the  same  operation  on  Jimmy-Hit-the- 
Road-a-Welt,  both  worthies  stoically 
enduring  the  novel  experience  without 
uttering  a  word. 

The  two  stood  watching  the  young 
ster  until  his  lithe  figure  had  almost 
disappeared  from  view,  each  with  a 
queer  expression  on  his  countenance. 

It  was  Jimmy  who  spoke  first. 
"Well,  I'm  blowed, "  was  his  earnest 
if  somewhat  inelegant  ejaculation. 
"He's  a  corker,  Seldom,  ain't  he?" 

'  'A  t'orrerbred,  Jimmy,  a  reg'lar  out- 
enouter.  He  don't  need  no  gardeen, 
he  don't." 

' '  D'yer  reckon  he'll  go  clean  'round, 
like  he  says  he's  goin?"  asked  Jimmy 
presently,  when  the  pair  had  resumed 
their  recumbent  positions  on  the  grass. 

' '  Do  I  ?  "  responded  Seldom,  as  he 
lazily  blinked  at  the  morning  sun.  "In 
course  I  does.  W'y,  Jimmy,  didn't  I 
say  ther  kid  was  er  t'orrerbred  ? "  And 
with  this  unanswerable  retort  Seldom 
Seen  pulled  down  the  brim  of  his  rusty 
hat,  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  blend- 


PAUL  FALLS  AMONG  FRIENDS  75 

ing  his  snores  with  those  of  his  precious 
partner. 

Meanwhile  Paul  had  been  stepping 
briskly  along  the  track,  his  heart  beat 
ing  high  in  anticipation  of  fresh  expe 
riences  to  be  gained  in  the  Mormon 
capital,  his  whole  frame  rejoicing  in  the 
contact  with  the  balmy  September  air, 
which  blew  soft  and  warm,  despite  the 
proximity  of  October. 

After  the  confinement  of  the  preced 
ing  days,  with  its  fetid  atmosphere, 
unpleasant  quarters  and  awful  jolting, 
this  was  like  a  taste  of  heaven  to  the 
youth,  who  at  times  cried  aloud  in 
sheer  exaltation  of  spirit  and  talked 
such  a  string  of  nonsense  that  any 
one  overhearing  him  might  have  had 
good  reason  to  question  his  sanity. 

But  it  was  only  a  natural  ebullition 
following  the  enforced  whispers  which 
for  three  days  had  escaped  his  lips, 
and  if  he  shouted  occasionally  to  re 
lieve  his  feelings  there  was  after  all 
nothing  extraordinary  in  such  perform 
ance. 

As  the  sun  rose  higher  in  the  heav 
ens  Paul's  step  grew  less  elastic,  and 
when  he  had  tramped  some  ten  or 


76     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

twelve  miles  the  lad  discovered  that 
he  was  not  only  very  tired,  but  ex 
tremely  hungry. 

"I'll  tackle  the  next  ranch  house 
I  spy  along  the  track, "  was  his  mental 
resolve,  after  fighting  off  the  pains  as 
long  as  he  was  able.  "Can't  get 
much  worse  than  a  refusal  anyhow 
and  I'll  have  to  risk  that." 

Another  quarter  of  an  hour  and  the 
outlines  'of  a  fairly  thrifty  appearing 
farmhouse  were  seen,  framed  in  a 
grove  of  timber,  about  half  a  mile 
distant  from  the  railroad. 

' '  Here  goes, "  muttered  Paul,  as  he 
jumped  the  ditch  that  skirted  the 
track.  "A  hungry  stomach  has  no 
business  to  be  squeamish,  and  a  din 
ner  of  some  sort  I  must  have." 

Between  the  railroad  track  and  the 
house  a  small  bunch  of  cattle  was 
grazing,  and  as  Paul  neared  the  stock 
he  spied  a  boy  of  about  fifteen  stretched 
on  the  prairie  intently  reading  a  book. 

So  interested  was  the  young  herder 
in  the  story  that  he  failed  to  notice 
Paul's  approach  and  started  up  with 
a  nervous  jump  when  the  newcomer, 


PAUL  FALLS  AMONG  FRIENDS  77 

halting   within   two    feet,    mildly  ven 
tured: 

"Say,  do  you  live  over  yonder?" 

-Yep." 

"A-h,  what  time  is  it?" 

"'Bout  'leven  o'clock,  I  guess." 

Just  then  Paul  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  title  of  the  book  the  lad  held  in 
his  hand  and  the  interest  he  felt  was 
perhaps  reflected  in  his  voice  as  he 
exclaimed,  "Swiss  Family  Robinson, 
isn't  it?  How  do  you  like  the  story?" 

"Bully!  Par's  I've  got.  Have  you 
read  it?" 

"Oh,  yes,  a  number  of  times.  They 
were  wonderfully  lucky  to  be  wrecked 
on  that  island,  weren't  they?" 

The  boy  darted  a  keen  glance  into 
Paul's  face  as  if  he  had  detected  a 
quizzical  note.  ' '  Well, "  he  said, 
1 ' '  pears  to  me  they  had  an  awfully 
smart  father.  He  knew  a  heap,  he 
did." 

"I  should  say  so,"  assented  Paul, 
and  the  ice  being  broken  it  did  not 
take  the  young  Chicagoan  long  to  es 
tablish  himself  on  a  very  friendly  foot 
ing  with  the  quick-witted  herder,  who, 


?8     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

after  a  while,  asked  Paul  to  go  over  to 
the  ranch  house  for  dinner. 

This  offer  was  accepted  with  so 
much  alacrity  that  both  were  quick 
to  see  the  absurdity  of  the  situation 
and  the  hearty  laugh  that  burst  from 
each  served  to  clinch  their  newly 
formed  friendship. 

"Didn't  think  I'd  refuse,  did  you?" 
questioned  Paul,  as  the  two  drove  the 
cattle  into  an  adjacent  corral. 

"N-o.  You  see  I  kinder  guessed 
you  was  hungry  when  you  asked  me 
the  time.  I  knew  you  wan't  a  reg'lar 
tramp,  by  the  way  you  talked." 

Supposing  Paul  to  be  some  boy  ac 
quaintance  of  Rob,  which  was  the 
young  herder's  name,  the  folks  at  the 
ranch  house  asked  no  questions  and 
the  tired  traveler  vouchsafed  no  re 
marks,  particularly  as  dinner  was  on 
the  table  when  the  lads  entered. 

Ah!  that  was  a  meal  indeed,  and 
the  way  Paul  disposed  of  the  whole 
some  food  was  a  caution.  But  as  he 
rose  from  his  chair  the  thought  of  a 
twenty-mile  tramp  caused  him  to  groan 
in  spirit  and  he  began  to  wish  he  had 
not  indulged  so  freely. 


PAUL  FALLS  AMONG  FRIENDS  79 

Something  of  this  he  expressed  to 
his  friend  Rob  as  they  sauntered  back 
to  the  corral. 

"Must  you  go  on  to  Salt  Lake 
this  afternoon  then?"  the  latter  anx 
iously  inquired. 

' '  Oh,  I  haven't  any  pressing  engage 
ment,"  returned  Paul.  "Why?" 

' ' '  Cause  if  you  wait  till  to-morrow 
I'll  take  you  up  in  my  buckboard. 
Mother  wants  to  send  some  things  to 
my  aunt  and  you  can  just  as  well  ride 
with  me,  if  you  care  to." 

"Care  to?  Why,  that  will  suit  me 
tip-top.  But  how  about  a  bunk  to 
night?  " 

"Oh,  that's  all  right.  I  have  a  big 
bed  in  the  attic  all  to  myself  and  you 
can  sleep  with  me." 

"It  is  better  to  be  born  lucky  than 
rich,"  thought  Paul,  as  he  closed  his 
eyes  that  night  after  indulging  in  a 
refreshing  bath.  ' '  I  guess  the  folks 
back  home  haven't  forgotten  me, 
either." 

The  ride  through  the  beautiful  val 
ley  into  town  was  a  rich  treat  to  Paul, 
whose  entertaining  conversation  seemed 
to  fascinate  his  younger  companion  so 


8o     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

that  they  both  were  fairly  sorry  when 
their  destination  was  reached. 

By  this  time  Rob  had  learned  Paul's 
plans,  and  his  interest  in  the  proposed 
trip  was  so  great  that  he  could  talk 
of  little  else.  He  insisted  on  taking 
Paul  to  his  aunt's  house,  and  as  he 
was  to  remain  over  Sunday  entreated 
his  new  friend  to  stay  with  him. 

"But  your  aunt  might  object  to 
receiving  a  stranger,"  remonstrated 
Paul,  who  had  some  qualms  about 
accepting  this  generous  invitation. 

"Oh,  no,  she  won't,"  urged  the  boy, 
"  My  friends  are  hers,  too.  She's  jolly 
good,  she  is." 

And  so  she  was.  The  best  in  the 
house  was  laid  before  the  lads,  for 
Paul's  unaffected  manners  proved  a 
direct  passport  to  the  good  woman's 
heart,  and  during  his  stay  in  Salt 
Lake  her  generous  hospitality  never 
wavered. 

Paul  could  have  found  no  better 
guide  than  Rob,  for  the  young  rancher 
had  been  born  and  brought  up  in  the 
great  Salt  Lake  valley,  so  that  of  the 
two  days  spent  in  town  not  a  min 
ute  was  wasted.  All  the  famous  places 


PAUL  FALLS  AMONG  FRIENDS  8l 

were  visited,  including  the  late  Brig- 
ham  Young's  mansion,  his  tomb,  the 
tabernacle,  the  great  Mormon  temple, 
not  then  completed,  the  cooperative 
stores  and  the  memorable  aqueducts 
where  the  water  refused  to  run  up 
hill  despite  the  spiritual  assurances 
revealed  to  the  prophet.  The  beau 
tiful  wide  streets  were  duly  admired 
and  a  drive  to  Camp  Douglas,  one 
of  Uncle  Sam's  most  picturesque  army 
posts,  brought  the  lads  to  the  fort  in 
time  to  witness  dress  parade  at  sun 
down.  Last,  but  not  least,  came  a 
bath  in  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  an  ex 
perience  that  each  of  the  boys  hugely 
enjoyed. 

When  Monday  afternoon  arrived  the 
feeling  that  he  had  put  in  his  time 
to  the  best  advantage  sent  Paul  away 
in  a  very  happy  frame  of  mind,  for, 
true  to  his  original  design,  he  was 
keen  to  continue  his  journey  to  the 
west. 

' '  How  do  you  expect  to  cross  the 
mountains,  Paul?"  inquired  Rob,  as 
they  were  jogging  back  to  the  ranch. 

"Haven't  any  definite  plan,  yet.  I 
didn't  know  but  Seldom  and  Jimmy 


82     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

might  be  able  to  point  out  a  way," 
he  replied,  for  Rob  had  heard  all  about 
these  queer  cronies. 

' '  I  have  a  better  scheme  than  that, " 
remarked  Rob,  presently,  emerging 
from  a  brown  study.  ' '  We  used  to 
have  a  hired  man  of  the  name  of 
Jack  Turner,  who  went  to  braking  on 
the  U.  P.,  and  I  b'leeve  he's  running 
on  an  emigrant  train  now.  If  I  could 
catch  him  going  west  I  know  he'd 
help  you,  for  Jack's  a  rattling  good 
fellow. " 

Here  was  an  unlooked-for  lead  that 
promised  to  pan  out  big,  and  Paul 
was  soon  in  a  state  of  feverish  anx 
iety  to  reach  the  Union  Pacific  lest 
Jack  should  go  through.  When  Rob 
explained  that  Ogden  was  the  end  of 
the  division  and  that  Jack  lived  in 
town  when  he  was  off  duty,  Paul 
quieted  down,  especially  as  Rob  prom 
ised  to  drive  over  to  Ogden  first  thing 
in  the  morning. 

Paul's  star  was  still  in  the  ascendant. 
When  the  lads  reached  Ogden  next 
day  Jack  Turner  was  almost  the  first 
acquaintance  Rob  greeted.  The  brake- 
man  chanced  to  be  on  his  way  to  the 


PAUL  FALLS  AMONG  FRIENDS  83 

yards  to  see  if  the  through  trains 
were  on  time,  as  he  expected  to  pull 
out  that  afternoon. 

In  response  to  Rob's  earnest  request 
he  readily  agreed  to  help  Paul  out 
by  ' '  fixing  "  the  conductor,  so  the  lat 
ter  would  fail  to  see  him  when  he 
went  through  the  train. 

"Of  course,  you  understand,"  said 
Turner,  '  'that  I  can  only  get  you  passed 
on  to  the  end  of  my  division,  but  I'll 
see  if  a  brakeman  I  know  on  the  re 
lief  crew  won't  keep  you  going.  Just 
show  up  at  2  o'clock  and  I  guess 
everything  will  be  all  right." 

Both  lads  were  profuse  in  their 
thanks,  at  which  the  good-natured 
brakeman  laughingly  declared  he'd  get 
even  by  falling  back  on  the  ranch  for 
a  job  if  he  happened  to  be  laid  off 
any  time. 

Rob's  sincere  regard  for  Paul  was 
made  still  more  apparent  when  the 
time  for  parting  arrived.  From  under 
neath  the  seat  of  the  buckboard  the 
boy  fished  out  a  market  basket  tied 
over  with  brown  paper,  which  he  thrust 
into  Paul's  hands,  saying:  "S'pose  you 


84     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

didn't  figure  that  you'd  need  anything 
to  eat  on  the  road?" 

It  was  an  act  of  thoughtfulness  for 
which  Paul  was  wholly  unprepared, 
and  his  voice  was  a  bit  husky  as  he 
stammered  his  thanks.  ' '  If  all  my  ex 
periences  are  to  be  as  pleasant  as  this 
one  has  been, "  he  said,  as  soon  as  he 
regained  his  composure,  "my  tramp 
will  be  nothing  but  a  prolonged  picnic. 
Just  wait  till  I  get  you  in  Chicago, 
Rob,  and  then  I'll  try  to  repay  some 
of  your  many  kindnesses." 

It  was  really  quite  hard  to  part  from 
the  brown-eyed,  freckle-faced  young 
Mormon  who  had  proved  so  true  a 
friend,  and  Paul  found  himself  specu 
lating  as  the  train  sped  westward  un 
der  what  circumstances,  if  ever,  they 
might  meet  again.  But  the  problem 
was  too  deep  for  instant  solution,  and 
before  he  could  arrive  at  a  satisfac 
tory  conclusion  he  was  fast  asleep. 

Jack  Turner's  "pull"  with  the  new 
crew  was  so  strong  that  when  he  came 
in  the  car  next  afternoon  to  say  good 
bye  he  assured  Paul  everything  would 
be  all  right  as  far  as  Sacramento,  a 


PAUL  FALLS  AMONG  FRIENDS  85 

piece  of  news  that  was,  of  course,  most 
gratefully  received. 

Meantime  Paul  had  made  some  ac 
quaintances  among  the  passengers,  so 
that  a  hot  cup  of  coffee  or  tea  was 
always  forthcoming  at  meal  times. 

The  car  in  which  Turner  had  found 
him  a  seat  was  filled  with  a  motley 
collection  of  emigrants,  most  of  whom 
were  on  their  way  to  southern  Cali 
fornia.  Families  predominated,  with 
the  usual  quota  of  children,  from  babies 
in  arms  to  restless  boys  and  girls  of 
twelve  and  fourteen. 

The  confinement  in  the  crowded  car 
had,  naturally,  tried  the  patience  and 
temper  of  both  parents  and  children, 
so  that  when  Paul  entered  on  the  scene 
the  prospect  was  anything  but  inspirit 
ing.  But  with  the  blissful  disregard 
of  surroundings  peculiar  to  a  healthy 
boy,  Paul  had  curled  himself  up  on 
the  seat,  after  eating  his  first  meal 
aboard  the  train,  and  despite  the  noise 
and  confusion  on  all  sides,  he  found 
no  difficulty  in  wooing  the  drowsy  god. 

Next  day  he  had  plenty  of  oppor 
tunity  to  study  his  fellow  travelers  at 
leisure,  and  it  was  not  long  before  his 


86     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

cheerful  good  nature  began  to  assert 
itself. 

The  heart  of  a  little  woman,  whose 
eldest  of  three  tots  was  scarcely  seven, 
he  gladdened  by  enticing  the  youngsters 
into  his  seat,  where  he  amused  them 
for  upward  of  an  hour  by  story-telling 
and  propounding  mysterious  conun 
drums,  which  gave  the  tired  mother, 
traveling  to  rejoin  her  husband,  a 
chance  to  rest  for  the  first  time  since 
she  had  boarded  the  train. 

A  fretful  child  that  had  cried  half 
the  morning  he  quieted  by  walking  up 
and  down  the  aisle  with  the  baby 
perched  on  his  shoulder,  until  it  crowed 
with  delight. 

At  dusk  of  the  second  day  the  chil 
dren  began  to  regard  Paul  as  their 
especial  friend,  and  after  their  early 
supper  had  been  discussed  he  had  all 
the  little  people  in  the  car  crowded 
into  his  seat,  on  his  knees,  at  his 
back — anywhere  within  earshot — for 
Paul  could  tell  the  most  wonderful 
fairy  stories  in  a  way  that  held  the 
youngsters  spellbound,  and  their  de 
mands  for  "just  one  more,  please," 


AMUSING  THE 
EMIGRANTS. 


PAUL  FALLS  AMONG  FRIENDS  87 

were  met  until  the  story  teller  was  too 
hoarse  to  continue. 

Thus  it  was  that  Paul  shortly  found 
himself  a  most  popular  individual,  not 
only  with  the  children,  but  with  the  big 
folks,  too,  for  since  his  advent  a  dif 
ferent  sort  of  atmosphere  seemed  to 
pervade  the  car,  and  the  elders  were 
not  slow  to  perceive  the  cause.  Hence 
it  was  not  strange  that  with  the  ap 
proach  of  meal  time  three  or  four  in 
vitations  were  always  open  to  Paul's 
choice. 

At  Sacramento  many  of  the  emi 
grants  left  the  train  to  continue  their 
journey  southward,  and  as  Paul  met 
a  peremptory  challenge  for  "ticket" 
from  the  new  conductor,  he  knew  his 
rope  was  run,  and  that  he  could  not 
hope  to  get  to  San  Francisco  aboard 
that  car.  Sadly,  but  philosophically 
withal,  he  said  good-bye  to  his  big  and 
little  friends,  and  escorted  by  a  brake- 
man  was  piloted  through  the  forward 
door  and  ordered  to  make  himself 
scarce. 

Not,  however,  without  having  formu 
lated  certain  definite  plans.  One  of 
the  passengers  had  advised  him  to 


88     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

steal  aboard  one  of  the  river  steam 
ers  plying  between  Sacramento  and 
San  Francisco  and  stow  away  among 
the  cargo.  Having  at  some  previous 
time  successfully  essayed  this  trick 
himself,  he  further  explained  how  it 
might  safely  be  accomplished,  which 
so  appealed  to  Paul's  imagination  that 
he  determined  to  make  the  attempt. 

With  a  sandwich  resting  snugly  at 
the  bottom  of  each  outside  pocket  of 
his  coat,  the  lad  made  his  way  across 
the  gridironed  tracks  to  the  wharf, 
where  he  remained  until  dusk  awaiting 
an  opportunity  to  elude  the  Cerberus 
at  the  gate. 

As  Homer  was  said  to  sometimes 
nod,  so  also  did  the  vigilance  of  the 
guard  relax,  and  at  the  first  good 
chance  Paul  slipped  inside  the  gate, 
bounded  lightly  across  the  gangway 
of  a  packet  moored  to  the  dock,  and 
in  a  trice  had  concealed  himself  among 
a  pile  of  freight  on  the  lower  deck, 
forward. 

Two  months  before  his  heart  would 
have  beaten  like  a  trip-hammer  had 
he  attempted  anything  so  daring  as 
this,  and  he  would  probably  have  re- 


PAUL  FALLS  AMONG  FRIENDS  89 

mained  in  a  state  of  constant  terror, 
for  fear  of  discovery. 

But  now  he  merely  shrugged  his 
shoulders  as  he  lay  outstretched  across 
the  bags  of  grain,  and  with  a  mental 
apology  to  the  owners  for  surrepti 
tiously  boarding  their  vessel,  he  gazed 
steadily  at  the  bright  moon  overhead 
and  actually  dropped  asleep  before 
the  boat  left  the  wharf  to  steam  down 
the  Sacramento  River. 

As  a  tramp  Paul  was  making  prog 
ress. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A    FORTUNE    IN    EYE-WATER. 

ONCE  only  during  the  night  Paul 
awoke  to  find  the  big  moon-eye  still 
beaming  above,  while  the  monotonous 
"chug!"  "chug!"  of  the  engine  indi 
cated  that  the  boat  was  keeping  stead 
ily  on  her  way  down  the  river. 

The  next  time  he  opened  his  eyes 
it  was  broad  daylight;  the  vessel  was 
just  steaming  into  her  dock,  and  the 
clatter  all  about  him  told  the  stow 
away  that  the  American  continent  had 
been  crossed  and  that  San  Francisco 
lay  invitingly  open  to  his  inspection. 

It  was  no  trick  to  steal  ashore  un 
observed  during  the  bustle  contingent 
on  making  fast.  This  safely  accom 
plished  the  first  and  most  natural 
question  that  intruded  was  how  to  get 
breakfast. 

"Here,  young  fellow,  want  to  carry 
my  sample  case?"  called  a  gray- 
bearded  drummer  at  this  juncture. 
90 


A  FORTUNE  IN  EYE-WATER  91 

"I'm  only  going  three  or  four  blocks 
up  the  street." 

With  alacrity  Paul  responded  to  the 
hail  and  quickly  fell  into  line  behind 
the  traveling  man,  whose  other  bag 
gage  consisted  of  a  valise  and  an  um 
brella. 

Twenty  cents — all  the  small  change 
the  man  had — Paul  received  for  this 
service,  and  with  lighter  spirits  he 
started  in  search  of  a  modest  restau 
rant  where  he  might  break  his  fast. 

This  done  he  next  bent  his  steps 
to  the  post  office,  where,  at  the  general 
delivery,  three  or  four  fat  letters  with 
the  Chicago  postmark  were  passed  to 
him  through  the  window. 

Outside  the  big  doors,  on  the  front 
steps  of  the  main  entrance  Paul  ea 
gerly  tore  open  the  envelope  bearing 
his  mother's  familiar  handwriting.  A 
quick  glance  sufficed  to  assure  him  all 
were  well  at  home,  and,  with  a  thank 
ful  heart,  he  sat  down  on  the  stone 
coping  to  leisurely  read  the  letters  from 
his  father  and  sisters. 

All  were  of  a  like  tenor — brimful  of 
love  for  the  wanderer,  but  anxious  for 
his  speedy  return.  "Surely,"  wrote 


92     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

Madge,  ' '  you  have  done  enough  tramp 
ing  by  this  time,  and  must  be  about 
ready  to  settle  down  to  matter-of-fact 
life  in  Chicago.  Be  a  good  prodigal 
and  we  will  promise  you  the  fattest 
calf  in  the  market." 

It  was  his  father  only  who  suspected 
the  true  scope  of  Paul's  tramp,  and  he 
begged  the  boy  to  think  twice  before 
putting  salt  water  between  him  and 
the  shores  of  America.  Yet  he  placed 
no  limitation  on  his  son's  travels,  but 
left  the  lad  free  to  follow  his  inclina 
tions,  asking  in  return  that  he  write  as 
often  as  possible. 

It  was  the  last  question  which  Paul 
ruefully  pondered.  As  to  returning  to 
Chicago,  why,  of  course,  that  was  not 
to  be  considered — he  was  only  fairly 
started;  but  if  he  could  raise  money 
enough  to  buy  stationery  and  stamps 
so  as  to  write  home  he  would  be  mod 
erately  happy.  That  duty  must  be 
performed  at  the  earliest  opportunity, 
even  if  he  missed  a  meal. 

From  his  reverie  he  was  aroused  by 
a  smart  slap  on  his  back,  while  a  voice 
in  his  ear  shouted:  "Hello,  Scotty!" 

This  familiar  salute  was  given  by  a 


A  FORTUNE  IN  EYE-WATER  93 

smartly  dressed  individual,  whose  sal 
low  features,  under  a  shiny  silk  hat, 
were  adorned  by  a  luxuriant  black 
mustache.  As  Paul  quickly  turned  the 
man  saw  he  had  made  a  mistake,  and 
hastened  to  apologize. 

"Beg  your  pardon,  son.  Thought 
you  were  a  friend  of  mine  from  Cin 
cinnati.  Had  a  little  job  for  him  and 
rather  expected  to  meet  him  here." 

Paul  took  this  in  good  part  and  smil 
ingly  remarked  that  he  bore  ' '  Scotty  " 
no  ill-will,  but  he  was  looking  for  a 
job  himself. 

The  man  with  the  mustache  ran  his 
eyes  over  Paul,  as  if  he  were  mentally 
"sizing  him  up."  The  inspection  was 
evidently  satisfactory,  for  he  began  to 
ask  a  number  of  questions,  and  ended 
by  telling  the  lad  to  meet  him  at  that 
same  place  at  12  o'clock. 

The  two  hours  intervening  Paul  spent 
in  writing  letters.  Strolling  into  the 
Palace  Hotel  to  admire  its  gorgeous 
interior,  he  spied  some  loose  paper 
and  envelopes  on  one  of  the  writing 
tables,  which  had  evidently  been  left 
by  a  surfeited  guest. 

Dropping  unconcernedly  into  the  va- 


94     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

cated  seat,  Paul  took  off  his  hat,  picked 
up  a  pen  and  wrote  industriously  un 
til  nearly  noon,  unmolested  and  un 
challenged  by  anyone.  At  the  end 
of  that  time  he  had  four  bulky  letters 
ready  to  mail.  All  he  lacked  was 
stamps. 

Depositing  them  in  an  inside  pocket 
he  carelessly  meandered  out  doors, 
and  then  walked  swiftly  to  the  ren 
dezvous,  which  he  reached  just  as  the 
clock  tolled  the  noon  hour. 

Five  minutes  later  his  acquaintance 
of  the  morning  appeared. 

"Ah!  You're  on  time,  I  see,"  he 
called,  as  he  mounted  the  steps. 
"Well,  I  admire  promptness.  Haven't 
been  to  dinner,  I  suppose?" 

Paul  shook  his  head, 

"Then  come  along  with  me,  and 
while  we  are  eating  I'll  tell  you  what 
sort  of  a  job  I  can  offer  you." 

The  unknown  led  the  way  to  an 
attractive  restaurant  on  Kearney  Street, 
where  he  ordered  a  substantial  dinner. 
During  its  discussion  he  explained  that 
his  name  was  Dr.  Queechy,  and  that 
he  was  the  owner  of  a  wonderful  cure 
for  sore  eyes  that  he  expected  to  sell 


A  FORTUNE  IN  EYE-WATER  95 

at  the  state  fair  at  Sacramento,  which 
was  to  begin  next  day. 

"What  I  want  you  to  do,  Paul," 
he  continued,  after  the  preliminary  ex 
planations  were  over,  ' ( is  to  take  charge 
of  my  booth  at  the  fair  grounds  and  sell 
my  eye-water  to  the  country  visitors. 
I  have  the  stuff  all  bottled  in  pints  and 
quarts,  which  you  may  give  away  at 
fifty  cents  and  a  dollar  a  bottle." 

Paul  grinned.  "That's  a  pretty 
steep  price  for  a  countryman  to  pay, 
isn't  it?" 

"Oh,  well,"  returned  the  doctor, 
with  a  fatuous  smile,  "  if  it  was  cheaper 
the  idiots  wouldn't  touch  it  at  all.  It's 
human  nature,  my  boy.  High-priced 
goods  must  be  extra  fine,  and,  there 
fore,  worth  having.  You'll  see;  the 
stuff'll  go  off  like  hot  cakes  when  you 
get  your  bills  well  distributed." 

If  Paul  had  any  doubts  about  the  mer 
its  of  Dr.  Queechy's  lotion  they  should 
have  been  entirely  dissipated  when 
•he  read  the  sample  handbill  which  the 
doctor  displayed.  The  wonderful  cu 
rative  properties  of  the  medicine  were 
set  forth  in  no  uncertain  light,  while 
numerous  testimonials  from  various 


96     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

distinguished  citizens  vouched  for  the 
benefits  they  had  derived  from  its  use. 
With  all  this  staring  him  in  the  face, 
Paul  would  have  been  an  ingrate  to 
have  doubted,  so  with  a  cheery  "thank 
you"  he  announced  his  willingness  to 
accept  the  place. 

"All  right,  then;  that's  settled,"  ex 
claimed  the  doctor.  "Two  dollars  a 
day  and  your  expenses.  Let's  see — 
train  leaves  in  an  hour.  Ought  to 
catch  that  so  as  to  get  an  early  start 
at  the  fair  to-morrow.  Stuff  is  at  the 
depot;  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  check 
it  through.  Come  ahead,  son." 

On  the  way  to  the  station  Paul 
pulled  out  his  letters  and  remarked 
that  he  would  like  to  mail  them  if  his 
employer  could  make  him  a  small 
advance  on  his  salary. 

The  doctor  opened  his  purse  and 
handed  his  new  assistant  a  silver  dollar. 

"Would  give  you  more,"  he  said, 
in  his  terse,  choppy  way,  "only  I'm 
a  little  short  just  now." 

Paul  protested  that  ten  cents  was 
enough,  but  the  doctor  waved  him 
back  and  told  him  to  say  no  more 
about  it. 


A  FORTUNE  IN  EYE-WATER  97 

It  was  a  great  relief  to  get  the  let 
ters  off  his  mind,  for  Paul's  love  for 
his  parents  was  too  genuine  to  allow 
them  to  worry  through  his  neglect. 
As  he  dropped  the  envelopes  into  the 
box  he  felt  as  if  that  action  completed 
his  record  up  to  date.  What  followed 
would  be  a  new  chapter,  which  he  was 
only  too  eager  to  enter  upon. 

On  arriving  at  Sacramento  their  first 
care  was  to  transfer  the  bottled  goods 
from  the  depot  to  the  fair  grounds. 
It  was  too  late  to  do  any  work  at  the 
booth  that  night,  so  the  doctor  made 
arrangements  for  Paul  to  board  at  a 
cheap  hotel  near  by,  promising  to  meet 
him  early  the  day  following  at  the 
booth. 

By  7:00  o'clock  next  morning  Paul 
had  eaten  his  breakfast  and  was  off 
to  the  grounds.  When  his  employer 
appeared  on  the  scene  the  bottles  were 
neatly  arranged  in  pyramids  around 
the  octagonal  counter,  while  attractive 
hangers  and  flaring  dodgers  proclaimed 
the  virtues  of  the  lotion  in  the  most 
effective  manner. 

"Better  get  a  few  small  boys  to 
pass  around  your  handbills,"  advised 

7 


98     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

the  doctor,  after  signifying  his  ap 
proval  of  Paul's  work.  ' '  Spend  this 
dollar  on  it,"  he  added,  tossing  over 
the  coin,  ' '  but  wait  until  the  grounds 
fill  up  before  you  set  'em  to  work. 
You  must  stick  close  to  the  stand,  as 
I  have  other  business  on  hand." 

Toward  noon  Paul  managed  to  hire 
four  youngsters  at  a  quarter  each,  who 
solemnly  promised  to  scatter  the  dodg 
ers  all  over  the  fair  grounds.  Appar 
ently  their  work  was  honest,  for  later 
on  he  sold  half-a-dozen  bottles  to  as 
many  different  people,  each  of  whom 
carried  a  handbill.  By  6  :oo  o'clock  he 
had  disposed  of  fifteen  dollars'  worth  of 
eye-water,  and  as  the  crowd  was  then 
rapidly  thinning  out,  he  concluded  it 
was  time  for  him  to  quit,  too.  So,  lock 
ing  up  his  bottles,  he  closed  the  booth 
and  went  over  to  his  hotel  to  supper. 

Contrary  to  his  expectations,  the 
doctor  failed  to  meet  Paul  that  even 
ing,  but,  supposing  that  he  would 
surely  receive  a  visit  at  the  booth  in 
the  morning,  the  lad  thought  nothing 
of  the  omission  and  went  to  bed,  feel 
ing  fairly  jubilant  over  his  first  day's 
business. 


A  FORTUNE  IN  EYE- WATER  99 

The  second  day  opened  bright  and 
pleasing.  The  attendance  was  larger, 
and,  with  another  judicious  distribution 
of  dodgers  by  his  faithful  emissaries, 
sales  of  eye-water  steadily  boomed,  so 
that  by  supper-time  Paul's  receipts 
amounted  to  upward  of  fifty  dollars. 
Still  the  doctor  did  not  appear,  much 
to  the  concern  of  his  assistant,  who 
began  to  fear  some  mishap  had  befallen 
him. 

The  day  had  not  passed  without 
bringing  many  incidents  to  Paul's  notice. 
Numerous  were  the  questions,  both 
funny  and  serious,  that  he  was  re 
quired  to  answer  regarding  the  efficacy 
of  the  eye-water,  to  all  of  which  the 
lad  replied  as  truthfully  and  intelli 
gently  as  he  could. 

One  old  lady,  who  thought  the  stuff 
might  possibly  help  her  son  Peleg's 
eyes,  wanted  to  be  certain  that  the 
medicine  would  do  all  that  the  hand 
bill  stated  before  she  invested.  Her 
shrewd  questions  rather  flurried  the 
young  salesman. 

1 '  You  say  that  '  one  bottle  will  cure 
the  worst  case  of  sore  eyes  ever  known, 
she  exclaimed,   quoting   from    the   bill 


100         PAUL  TR AVERS1  ADVENTURES 

she  held  before  her  spectacles.  ' '  Will 
you  swear  to  that,  young  man?" 

"Madam,  let  me  explain, "  answered 
Paul,  deprecatingly.  ' '  You  see,  I  can 
not  swear  to  it,  because  I'm  only  hired 
to  attend  this  stand,  and  know  very 
little  about  the  lotion.  The  doctor  is 
away  just  now,  but  he  assured  me 
before  he  left  that  the  medicine  would 
do  all  he  claimed  for  it.  That's  all  I 
can  tell  you." 

' '  Humph !  little  enough, "  she  grunted. 
' '  However,  you  look  honest,  boy,  so 
I'll  take  a  bottle,  anyway.  Peleg's 
eyes  is  that  bad  he  can't  read  out  o' 
the  family  Bible,  which  is  printed  in 
extry  big  letters.  S'pose  them  instruc 
tions  on  the  bottle  tells  how  to  use 
it,  eh?  But  it's  an  awful  high  price  to 
pay,  though,"  she  grumbled,  as  she 
hobbled  off. 

They  were  mostly  grangers  who 
bought.  It  seemed  to  Paul  that  a 
great  many  farmers  were  afflicted  with 
ophthalmia  in  that  region,  and  he 
wondered  if  the  lotion  would  make 
their  eyes  much  worse.  Whether  the 
stuff  was  genuine  or  a  rank  humbug, 
he  had  no  means  of  telling.  He  only 


SELLfNG  EVE- WATER 
AT  THE  FAIR. 


A  FORTUNE  IN  EYE-WATER  IOI 

had  the  doctor's  word  that  it  was  all 
he  represented  it  to  be. 

The  third  day  was  a  repetition,  with 
but  slight  variation,  of  the  one  pre 
vious,  except  that  the  sales  fell  off  a 
trifle.  The  fourth  and  last  day  of  the 
fair  found  the  doctor  still  missing, 
and  so  far  all  Paul's  inquiries  had 
been  fruitless.  In  the  afternoon,  hav 
ing  sold  every  bottle  of  eye-water  in 
the  booth,  and  with  upward  of  one 
hundred  dollars  in  his  pocket,  he  con 
cluded  to  take  a  stroll  around  the 
grounds  in  search  of  the  absent  one. 

It  was  while  describing  his  employer 
to  one  of  the  fair  police  that  Paul 
stumbled  on  his  first  bit  of  informa 
tion  concerning  the  doctor. 

"Doctor  Quaichy,  d'ye  call  him?" 
remarked  the  officer,  in  a  strong  Hi 
bernian  accent.  ' '  Divvle  a  docther  is 
he,  oi  don't  think.  Sure  ther  feller's 
as  slick  a  fakir  as  iver  ye  seen.  Him 
an'  another  chap's  bin  run' out  o'  town 
for  worrkin  '  a  lotthery  racket  on  ther 
grounds.  It's  me  that's  tellin'  yer  he 
won't  throuble  this  parrt  o'  Calliforn- 
yer  agin  for  a  good  bit.  Some  o'  ther 
lads  he  bilked  lambasted  him  awful 


102    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

the  fust  day  he  opened  up  and  then 
chased  him  to  the  thrain  goin'  East. 
Sure  he  must  be  nearly  to  Ne-York 
be  this  toime." 

This  was  startling  news  that  might 
or  might  not  refer  to  Dr.  Queechy. 
Further  investigation,  however,  con 
vinced  Paul  that  the  policeman's  story 
was,  in  the  main,  true,  for  the  addi 
tional  evidence  he  gathered  all  pointed 
to  the  doctor  as  the  exiled  gambler. 

What  bothered  Paul  was  to  know 
just  why  his  employer  had  taken  so 
much  trouble  with  the  stand.  He  fin 
ally  concluded  that  the  gambling  had 
been  an  after  consideration,  particu 
larly  when  he  learned  that  another 
man  had  been  implicated  with  him. 

After  lingering  two  days  in  Sacra 
mento  to  give  an  account  of  his  stew 
ardship,  Paul  decided  that  the  doctor 
either  feared  to  return  or  else  imagined 
the  sale  of  eye-water  hadn't  amounted 
to  enough  to  bother  about.  There 
was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  to  go 
back  to  San  Francisco,  and  with  five 
double  eagles  wrapped  in  a  chamois 
bag  and  visions  of  the  Southern  Pa 
cific  haunting  his  active  brain,  he  again 


A  FORTUNE  IN  EYE-WATER  103 

turned  his  face  toward  the  Golden 
Gate. 

His  next  problem  was  a  knotty  one. 
It  was  whether  to  try  to  reach  China 
and  Japan  or  embark  for  New  Zea 
land  and  Australian  ports.  Regretfully 
brushing  aside  thoughts  of  cute  little 
Japs  and  pretty  musmees,  as  he  realized 
how  helpless  he  would  be  in  a  strange 
speaking  country,  without  money  or 
friends,  he  decided  that  the  Eng 
lish  colonies  would  be  more  suitable 
for  his  purpose.  It  may  be  that  the 
fact  of  having  an  uncle  living  in  South 
Australia  aided  him  in  coming  to  this 
determination. 

This  question  settled,  the  more  dif 
ficult  one  of  how  to  get  there  pre 
sented  itself.  At  first  Paul  supposed 
it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  ship 
aboard  any  of  the  steamers  lying  in 
the  harbor,  but  after  spending  a  day 
or  two  in  visiting  the  various  vessel 
agents  and  captains,  he  discovered  his 
error. 

He  wasn't  a  sailor,  cabin  boys  were 
out  of  date  and  experienced  under- 
stewards  were  a  glut  on  the  market. 
Evidently  there  was  a  conspiracy  to 


104    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

turn  him  down,  and  with  a  sigh  Paul 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  "running 
away  to  sea"  was  more  of  a  fairy  tale 
than  a  reality,  despite  all  the  story 
books  to  the  contrary. 

"Well,"  thought  he,  "if  I  can't 
ship  as  a  sailor,  or  get  a  billet  as  a 
steward,  I  can  at  least  buy  a  passage 
as  far  as  my  money  will  carry  me. 
Might  just  as  well  spend  it  this  way 
as  any  other." 

Of  the  hundred  dollars  he  had  about 
eighty-five  left,  fifteen  having  been 
spent  in  buying  a  few  necessary  arti 
cles  of  clothing,  a  valise,  renting  a 
room  and  in  living  expenses.  A  first 
class  passage  to  Australia  was  worth 
two  hundred  dollars;  by  steerage, 
one  hundred  dollars.  Clearly  he 
could  not  get  that  far.  To  the  Sand 
wich  Islands  saloon  fare  was  $75; 
steerage,  $30.  This  was  possible,  so 
Honolulu  he  decided  should  be  his 
next  port  of  call. 

With  a  philosophy  that  was  open  to 
serious  criticism,  he  next  determined 
to  travel  first  class,  arguing  that  so  long 
as  he  had  money  in  his  pocket  he 
would  get  the  best  in  sight.  Instead, 


A  FORTUNE  IN  EYE-WATER  105 

then,  of  contenting  himself  with  steer 
age  passage  and  saving  the  difference, 
Paul  went  to  the  steamship  office 
and  rashly  engaged  a  saloon  berth  to 
Honolulu. 

If  he  had  been  a  few  years  older 
the  prospect  of  landing  on  an  island 
in  the  Southern  Pacific  with  but  a  few 
dollars  in  his  pocket  might  have  taught 
him  more  discretion.  As  it  was  he 
trusted  to  his  usual  happy  faculty  of 
alighting  on  his  feet,  and  refused  to 
give  any  thought  for  the  morrow. 
Perhaps  it  was  largely  owing  to  his 
sublime  faith  in  himself  that  he  over 
came  difficulties  which  might  have  ap 
palled  a  more  experienced  traveler. 

It  was  on  a  Thursday  morning  that 
Paul  planked  down  his  gold  twenties 
on  the  counter  of  the  steamship  office 
and  received  in  exchange  his  berth 
ticket  on  the  City  of  Sydney.  The 
boat  was  advertised  to  sail  at  2:00 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  A  letter  to 
his  father,  telling  of  the  step  he  had 
taken,  another  to  his  mother,  and  Paul 
was  ready  to  go  on  board. 

At  5  :oo  o'clock  he  was  passing  through 
the  Golden  Gate  on  his  way  to  the 


106         PAUL  TR AVERS1  ADVENTURES 

Sandwich  Islands;  the  Pacific  coast 
was  gradually  receding  and  an  unknown 
region  lay  before  him.  But  the  swell 
was  becoming  too  obtrusive  for  further 
reverie  on  deck,  so  down  to  his  berth 
he  hurried,  with  an  awful  feeling  of 
nausea  that  stretched  him  helpless. 

When  at  length  he  slept,  it  was  to 
dream  that  he  had  married  the  daugh 
ter  of  a  rich  planter,  and  was  made 
prime  minister  of  Hawaii. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IN    THE    SOUTHERN    PACIFIC. 

THE  City  of  Sydney  was  badly 
crowded.  In  addition  to  her  regular 
passenger  traffic  she  carried  an  Ameri 
can  circus  troupe,  with  its  accompany 
ing  impedimenta,  that  was  going  to 
"do "New  Zealand  and  Australia  and, 
incidentally,  the  colonials. 

The  circus  pervaded  the  entire  ship. 
Its  trick  horses,  performing  stallions, 
mules,  elephants,  camels  and  other 
uncaged  animals  were  confined  in  nar 
row  stalls  on  the  lower  deck  between 
the  steerage  way  and  amidships,  while 
the  fiercer  ones,  lodged  behind  iron 
bars,  were  scattered  up  and  down  the 
gangways  and  wherever  there  was  space 
enough  to  lash  a  cage. 

The  roaring  of  the  lions,  hoarse 
bellowing  of  the  seals,  trumpeting  of 
the  seasick  elephants  and  other  kin 
dred  noises  emanating  from  the  menag 
erie,  produced  a  very  bizarre  effect 
107 


108    PAUL  TRAVERS*  ADVENTURES 

that  first  night  at  sea;  hence  it  was  not 
strange  that  few  passengers  slept. 

Awakened  from  his  dream  of  the 
premiership  by  the  furious  trumpeting 
of  a  frightened  elephant,  Paul  lay  quiet 
in  his  bunk  for  a  few  minutes  until  he 
got  his  bearings.  Then,  as  a  long  roller 
threw  the  ship  over,  he  felt  his  stom 
ach  rebel,  and  hastily  slid  to  the  cabin 
floor  just  as  a  voice  from  the  lower 
berth  called  out,  "What's  the  matter, 
boy,  sick?" 

It  was  the  ship's  surgeon  who  asked 
the  question.  Pushed  for  room,  the 
steamship  company  had  even  invaded 
the  cabins  allotted  to  the  officers,  and 
Paul  had  been  quartered  with  Dr. 
Penrose,  who  had  cheerfully  consented 
to  the  arrangement.  It  was  another 
instance  of  Paul's  luck,  for  the  jolly 
doctor  was  able  to  do  him  many  a 
good  turn  later  on. 

"I  don't  feel  just  right,  doctor,"  re 
sponded  the  lad,  as  he  labored  over 
the  basin.  "Seems  as  if  I'd  lose  my 
toe  nails  if  this  keeps  up.  Oh,  dear, " 
he  groaned,  "guess  I  wasn't  cut  out 
for  a  sailor,"  and  once  more  he 
struggled  with  his  rebellious  stomach. 


IN  THE  SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  log 

The  hard-hearted  doctor  laughed. 
"Why,  my  boy,  in  another  day  I'll 
have  you  guzzling  the  fattest  piece  of 
fried  pork  there  is  in  the  cook's  galley. 
That's  right,  let  'er  come;  you'll  be 
better  pretty  soon." 

Not  until  there  was  nothing  left  to 
come  did  Paul  feel  safe  in  climbing 
back  into  his  bunk,  and  then  he  was 
so  weak  that  he  quickly  dropped  to 
sleep  in  spite  of  the  bedlamic  noises 
which  prevailed. 

He  told  the  doctor  the  next  morn 
ing  that  he  guessed  he'd  stick  to  the 
cabin  for  a  while,  when  the  latter 
urged  him  to  get  up  and  eat  break 
fast;  so,  promising  to  send  the  steward 
in  with  a  bowl  of  beef  tea  and  a  bis 
cuit,  Dr.  Penrose  left  Paul  to  his 
meditations. 

It  wasn't  a  pleasant  morning  for  the 
young  traveler,  and  those  who  have 
been  there  themselves  will  be  ready 
to  extend  their  sympathies.  But  his 
was  not  a  very  severe  attack,  and 
along  in  the  afternoon,  by  keeping  his 
lips  tightly  closed,  he  managed  to 
wriggle  into  his  clothes,  and  presently 
found  courage  to  crawl  on  deck. 


I 10    PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

There  were  few  passengers  prome 
nading.  Those  who  had  escaped  the 
prevailing  complaint  were  mostly  old 
stagers  who  had  crossed  the  ocean  so 
often  they  had  their  sea  legs  with 
them  constantly.  There  was  one  nota 
ble  exception,  however,  as  Paul  shortly 
discovered. 

For  about  an  hour  he  persistently 
strode  up  and  down  the  deck,  a  little 
white  under  the  eyes  and  still  rather 
green  about  the  lips,  but  the  awful 
feeling  of  nausea  had  passed  away, 
and  with  each  fresh  breath  of  salt  air 
that  he  inhaled  the  lad  felt  a  new  in 
vigorating  force  creeping  into  his  veins. 

Oh,  but  it  was  glorious  to  breast  the 
sharp,  keen  breeze,  laden  with  minute 
crystals  that  flecked  his  cheeks  and 
occasionally  lit  upon  his  lips.  This 
was  worth  all  it  had  cost  him  so  far, 
he  decided,  as  he  rested  his  arms  for 
a  minute  on  top  of  the  bulwarks  and 
stood  watching  the  dolphins  play  leap 
frog  in  the  briny  waves. 

Suddenly  a  smart  gust  of  wind  sent 
the  hat  of  one  of  the  promenaders 
sailing  past  the  companionway,  brought 
it  in  collision  with  a  ventilator,  low- 


IN  THE  SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  III 

ered  it  for  a  second  on  the  skylight 
over  the  saloon,  and  then,  picking  it 
up  sharply,  dashed  it  full  in  Paul's 
face,  where  its  erratic  career  ended. 

It  was  a  Tarn  o'  Shanter  of  soft, 
gray  wool  which  Paul  grasped  and 
the  next  minute  its  owner  came  beat 
ing  up  into  the  wind  in  search  of  her 
lost  property.  She  was  young — not 
over  sixteen  —  with  merry,  laughing 
eyes,  light  brown,  crisp,  curly  hair 
and  red,  rosy  cheeks — a  picture  of 
health  and  youthful  beauty. 

''Oh,  I  am  so  glad  you  stopped 
it,"  she  exclaimed,  as  Paul  handed 
over  his  prize.  ' '  I  never  expected  to 
get  it  back  again,  you  know." 

Paul  smiled  and  said  he  was  glad 
to  have  had  the  chance  of  saving  her 
cap  from  going  overboard,  and  then, 
as  the  girl  paused  to  cover  her  flying 
locks,  he  politely  called  her  attention 
to  the  dolphins  disporting  in  the 
water. 

She  moved  close  up  to  the  bul 
warks  and  leaned  over,  the  better  to 
look  at  them. 

"What  jolly  fun  they're  having  down 
there,"  she  remarked,  and  by  her  ac- 


H2    PAUL  TR AVERS1  ADVENTURES 

cent  Paul  knew  she  was  English.  ' '  See 
how  easily  they  keep  up  with  the  ship. " 

Her  companion  tried  to  look  down 
over  the  rail,  too,  but  his  head  was 
hardly  equal  to  the  effort,  and  with  a 
sickly  smile  he  said  he  guessed  he 
would  have  to  keep  moving.  "You 
see,  miss,"  he  apologetically  explained, 
"this  is  my  first  appearance  on  deck 
and  I'm  not  quite  used  to  the  motion 
yet." 

Hastily  lifting  his  hat,  he  started 
off  at  a  brisk  pace,  leaving  the  girl 
still  watching  the  sportive  fish.  On 
his  return  the  second  time  she  started 
to  renew  her  walk,  and  the  pleasant 
smile  she  gave  Paul  encouraged  him 
to  fall  in  step  beside  her. 

"What  a  capital  sailor  you  are," 
he  ventured.  ' '  This  can't  be  your  first 
trip  at  sea  ?  " 

1  •  Not  quite, "  she  replied.  ' '  We  left 
Liverpool  three  weeks  ago,  so  I  had 
a  chance  to  get  used  to  the  motion 
while  crossing  the  Atlantic;  but  it 
didn't  bother  me  a  bit,  even  then.  Dear 
mamma  was  dreadfully  ill,  though, 
and  stayed  in  her  cabin  until  we 
reached  New  York.  I  don't  suppose 


IN  THE  SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  113 

we  shall  see  her  on  deck  until  we  get 
to  Honolulu.  Poor  Jones,  too — that's 
mamma's  maid — is  just  as  bad,  so  I 
have  to  look  after  myself  entirely." 

Further  conversation  with  this  ingen 
uous  miss  revealed  the  fact  that  her 
mamma  was  the  wife  of  a  high  official 
attached  to  the  English  embassy  at 
Suva,  Fiji,  who  with  her  daughter 
Ethel  and  the  maid,  Jones,  was  on 
her  way  to  Sydney  to  meet  her  hus 
band. 

At  three  bells,  or  half  past  five,  the 
lively  Miss  Ethel  announced  her  in 
tention  of  going  below  to  dress  for 
dinner,  and  as  by  this  time  Paul  had 
overcome  his  repugnance  for  food,  he 
expressed  the  hope  of  meeting  his  new 
acquaintance  in  the  saloon. 

But,  as  he  descended  the  compan- 
ionway,  he  ruefully  thought  of  his  one 
suit  of  clothes  and  what  a  sorry  fig 
ure  he  would  cut  at  the  dinner  table. 
However,  he  was  too  young  to  let 
this  worry  him  much,  and,  after  all, 
with  clean  linen  and  a  neat  four-in- 
hand  tie,  he  presented  a  not  unattrac 
tive  exterior. 

It  was  too  early  in  the  voyage  for 


114    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

the  saloon  to  be  crowded,  so  Paul 
found  no  difficulty  in  getting  a  seat 
near  the  rosy-faced  English  lass,  who 
had  a  good  British  appetite  which 
nothing  seemed  to  disturb.  Consider 
ing  his  recent  unpleasant  experiences, 
the  young  Chicagoan  managed  to  make 
a  very  fair  meal  himself,  and  between 
courses  mustered  up  enough  ambition 
to  attempt  a  few  responses  to  the 
bright  sallies  of  his  fair  neighbor,  whose 
effervescing  spirits  were  so  contagious 
that  Paul  had  forgotten  all  about  sea 
sickness  by  the  time  cofTee  was  served. 

It  was  a  very  innocent  and  wholly  en 
joyable  comradeship  that  the  two  young 
people  formed  for  each  other  during 
the  succeeding  days  at  sea.  Just  a 
healthy  boy  and  girl  friendship,  devoid 
of  any  sickly  sentimentality.  They 
walked,  talked,  sung  and  read  together 
as  if  they  were  college  chums,  and, 
with  no  one  to  interfere  with  their 
movements,  had  a  royal  good  time. 

Through  the  ship  they  roamed  at 
will,  all  avenues  being  open  for  their 
inspection.  They  visited  the  steerage 
quarters  together,  dived  down  into  the 
fo'castle,  made  friends  with  the  ele- 


IN  THE  SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  1 15 

phants,  chatted  with  the  lion  tamer, 
watched  the  juggler  practice  his  art 
on  the  lower  deck,  hobnobbed  with  the 
side  show  people,  and  even  discussed 
amateur  photography  with  the  clown, 
that  being  his  particular  hobby. 

Card  playing,  quoit  pitching,  hop 
scotch,  bean  bag,  hoop  pole,  chess, 
checkers,  dominoes,  dancing — all  the 
mild  diversions  calculated  to  while 
away  the  hours  on  shipboard — they 
indulged  in,  the  weather  meantime 
proving  delightfully  fair. 

With  so  charming  and  congenial  a 
companion  it  was  not  strange  that  the 
week  passed  with  lightning  speed,  and 
Honolulu  was  in  sight  almost  before 
Paul  realized  that  the  time  had  arrived 
when  he  must  say  good-by  to  the  ship 
and  his  pleasant  acquaintances. 

Waiting  until  the  last  minute  before 
making  his  adieus,  with  a  heavy  heart 
he  left  the  ship,  paid  his  shore  tax  of 
two  dollars  and  then  rode  up  town  to 
the  Hawaii  Hotel,  where  he  decided 
to  spend  the  night,  cost  what  it  might. 

There  was  a  mosquito  netting  over 
the  bed  in  his  room,  but  the  Kanaka 
variety  of  insect  laughed  it  to  scorn, 


Il6    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

and  the  warm  welcome  they  accorded 
the  stranger  when  he  crept  under  the 
canopy  was  an  earnest  of  the  hospitality 
of  the  island. 

With  such  bedfellows  sleep  was  ban 
ished  and  after  tossing  from  one  pillow 
to  another  until  daylight,  what  was  left 
of  Paul  crawled  out  of  range,  hastily 
dressed  and  went  down  to  breakfast. 
When  he  settled  his  bill  the  young 
traveler  found  he  had  just  seventy-five 
cents  in  cash  left,  a  state  of  affairs 
that  set  him  to  thinking  seriously. 

The  prospect  of  being  stranded  on 
an  island  did  not  please  him.  Stroll 
ing  down  to  the  wharf  he  found  the 
City  of  Sydney  still  at  her  moorings, 
and,  going  aboard,  incidentally  learned 
from  the  chief  mate  that  several  of 
the  crew  had  levanted  during  the  night, 
leaving  him  short-handed. 

A  sudden  inspiration  seized  Paul. 
"See  here,  Mr.  Le  Due,  why  can't  you 
ship  me  before  the  mast?  I  want  to 
go  to  Sydney  and  will  gladly  sign 
with  you  for  my  passage." 

The  mate  snorted  and  looked  in 
credulous.  "Pretty  figure  you'd  cut 
aloft  in  a  gale  o'  wind.  I  guess  not." 


IN  THE  SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  1 17 

But  Paul  protested  so  stoutly  and 
stated  his  predicament  so  earnestly 
that  the  officer  weakened  and  ended 
by  agreeing  to  transfer  his  late  saloon 
passenger  to  the  fo'castle  as  a  common 
sailor. 

Half  an  hour  later  Paul  had  actually 
signed  the  ship's  articles  for  Sydney, 
and  was  soon  stowing  his  valise  in  a 
vacant  bunk  which  had  been  assigned 
to  his  use.  Doffing  his  linen  shirt, 
collar  and  necktie,  he  again  rigged  him 
self  out  in  his  tramp  attire,  and  in  an 
hour  had  reported  to  the  mate  for 
duty. 

While  helping  to  take  in  cargo  he 
kept  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  bright 
English  girl,  but  as  she  had  gone 
ashore  with  her  mamma  and  the  maid 
he  was  spared  all  explanations  for  the 
present.  From  his  position  on  the 
lower  deck  he  saw  them  drive  up  to 
the  wharf  shortly  before  the  boat  cast 
off,  and  with  curiously  mixed  feelings 
watched  Ethel  and  her  mamma,  half 
buried  under  gay  flowers,  trip  across 
the  gang  plank,  followed  by  Jones 
bearing  a  large  bunch  of  bananas. 

A   lump    rose   in  his   throat    as    he 


Il8          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

realized  there  was  now  a  sharp  line 
drawn  between  them  that  would  effec 
tually  end  further  intercourse,  and  he 
dreaded  the  hour  when  they  must 
meet.  He  found  himself  speculating 
how  his  former  jolly  comrade  would  act 
when  she  encountered  him  at  work 
scrubbing  the  deck  or  engaged  in  some 
such  menial  labor.  Shrugging  his  shoul 
ders,  he  reflected  that  it  was  only  a 
part  of  his  experiences,  and  his  native 
philosophy  again  came  to  his  aid. 

Paul  was  assigned  to  duty  with  the 
port  watch,  and  by  the  time  he  had 
served  a  week  before  the  mast  he  was 
thoroughly  imbued  with  the  deep  re 
ligious  convictions  Dana  experienced 
when  he  sailed  around  Cape  Horn. 
The  same  sentiment  pervaded  the  City 
of  Sydney.  It  was: 

Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thou 

art  able, 
And  on  the  seventh — holystone  the  main  deck 

and  scrape  the  cable. 

Paul's  efforts  at  ' '  sailoring"  were  con 
fined  chiefly  to  scrubbing  the  deck, 
cleaning  paintwork,  polishing  brass  or 
namentation  and  shifting  cargo  in  the 


IN  THE  SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  HQ 

hold,  all  of  which  was  pretty  hard 
manual  labor  to  the  tenderly-reared 
youth. 

But  he  never  shirked  his  duty  nor 
shrank  from  it,  no  matter  how  distaste 
ful  the  work.  He  had  one  solacing 
thought  that  kept  him  ever  cheerful. 
He  knew  the  discomforts  were  but 
temporary,  and  was  prepared  for  a 
stoical  endurance  until  the  ship  reached 
Sydney  harbor. 

The  hardest  task  to  which  the  em 
bryo  sailor  was  assigned  was  in  hand 
ling  cargo  in  the  ship's  hold  on  hot 
afternoons,  when  the  thermometer  reg 
istered  anywhere  from  90  to  no  de 
grees.  The  youngest  and  slimmest 
of  any  in  his  watch,  he  was  expected 
to  work  alongside  the  toughest  old 
stagers  and  still  make  as  good  a  show 
ing  as  they. 

Stripped  to  the  waist  and  perspir 
ing  at  every  pore,  he  would  yet  man 
age  to  compress  his  lips  into  a  grim 
smile  and  try  to  think  that  in  another 
month  the  agony  would  be  over  and 
he  would  be  laughing  in  real  earnest. 

Sometimes  his  back  ached  so  fright 
fully  and  his  tongue  was  so  dry  and 


120         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

parched  that  he  felt  he  must  drop 
in  his  tracks  before  the  hour  of  relief 
arrived.  But  he  was  too  proud  to 
complain,  and  by  gritting  it  through  he 
became  gradually  inured  to  the  rough 
service. 

When  resting  in  his  bunk,  after  such 
spells,  he  decided  that  the  lad  who  is 
dissatisfied  with  his  home  and  yearns 
to  become  a  sailor  has  only  to  ship 
aboard  an  ocean  steamer  for  a  voy 
age  to  the  South  Pacific  to  have  the 
nonsense  knocked  out  of  him.  One 
trip,  he  thought,  would  be  sufficient 
unless  the  lad  were  made  of  extra 
stern  stuff. 

Perhaps  Paul's  severest  test  came 
when  he  was  first  sent  aloft.  It  was 
the  second  night  out  from  Honolulu. 
Going  on  deck  at  eight  bells,  midnight, 
he  was  ordered  up  with  the  rest  of 
the  watch  to  furl  the  sails,  which  strong 
headwinds  rendered  useless. 

A  small  sized  gale  was  blowing  above, 
and  the  glance  Paul  threw  upward  sent 
his  heart  into  his  boots.  He  looked 
around  for  a  hiding-place,  and  found 
it  behind  a  coil  of  rope,  which  hung 
from  a  belaying  pin.  Just  as  he  was 


IN  THE  SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  121 

disappearing  in  the  gloom,  the  second 
mate's  voice  rang  out: 

"You  young  scamp,  come  out  o' 
that,  or  I'll  skin  ye  alive.  Hump  your 
self,  now." 

The   culprit    meekly  crawled   forth. 

"Now,  then,  jump  into  them  shrouds, 
unless  ye  want  the  toe  o'  my  boot 
along  yer  spine.  No  skulking  here. 
Pile  up  there  in  a  hurry ! " 

Paul  stole  a  glance  at  the  mate — 
the  "little  bulldog,"  the  sailors  had 
dubbed  him — noted  his  heavy  sea- 
boots  and  concluded  to  follow  the  rest 
of  the  port  watch.  With  his  heart  in 
his  mouth  he  sprang  into  the  rigging 
and  slowly  and  cautiously  made  his 
way  into  the  maintop. 

Here  the  sailors  lay  along  the  yard 
taking  in  canvas,  and  when  they  saw 
the  greenhorn  creeping  along  the  foot- 
rope  they  gave  him  a  characteristic 
reception. 

"Hang  on  with  your  eyebrows, 
Johnny!"" 

"Bet  he's  glued  to  the  ropes!" 

"Somebody  throw  him  a  fishline!" 

"Put  a  half  hitch  'round  him!" 

It  was  good-natured  banter,  if  a  trifle 


122    PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

rough,  but  the  lad  paid  little  attention 
to  it,  for  meantime  the  wind  was  whist 
ling  about  his  ears  and  singing  a  tune  in 
them  that  might  as  well  have  been  a 
dirge,  for  Paul  never  expected  to  get 
back  alive.  However,  he  kept  his  teeth 
tightly  shut  and  doggedly  took  up  a 
position  on  the  precarious  footrope, 
which  seemed  like  packthread  to  his 
excited  imagination. 

Over  the  boom  he  bent,  and  with 
one  hand  grasping  the  jackstay  em 
ployed  his  right  in  scooping  in  sail. 
Still  higher  up  was  another  portion  of 
the  crew  taking  in  the  main-top-gal 
lant-sail,  but  for  a  first  attempt  Paul 
concluded  he  had  done  enough,  and 
he  had  no  ambition  to  join  them. 
Waiting  until  all  the  sails  were  neatly 
furled,  he  crawled  out  to  the  end  of 
the  yard  and  began  the  descent. 

As  he  had  scorned  to  take  advantage 
of  the  lubber's  hole  in  ascending  he  gave 
it  as  wide  a  berth  going  down  and 
bravely  swung  himself  into  the  futtock 
shrouds  until  his  body  assumed  the 
shape  of  a  right-angled  triangle.  For 
a  moment  he  hung  in  space;  then 
his  feet  caught  the  ratlines  and  his 


IN  THE  SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  123 

hair  began  to  resume  its  normal  con 
dition.  With  his  heart  beating  like  a 
trip-hammer  he  reached  the  lower 
shrouds,  and  jumped  to  the  deck,  where 
he  leaned  heavily  against  the  bulwarks 
to  steady  himself. 

But  the  "bulldog"  was  laying  for 
him. 

"Hello!  Skulkin'  again,  eh?"  ex 
claimed  the  mate,  catching  sight  of 
Paul's  trembling  figure.  "Blast  my 
buttons  if  I  don't  knock  that  foolish 
ness!  Get  a  bucket  o'  hot  water  and 
a  scrubbin'  brush  and  report  to  me 
lively." 

The  remainder  of  the  night  Paul 
spent  in  scrubbing  paintwork  on  the 
bridge,  his  efforts  being  expedited  by 
constant  growls  from  the  vicious  mate, 
who  seemed  to  take  a  keen  delight 
in  worrying  the  lad. 

The  youngster  was  buying  his  ex 
perience  pretty  dearly  these  days. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

ABOARD    THE    CITY    OF    SYDNEY. 

AFTER  that  first  trip  to  the  upper 
regions  Paul  rather  enjoyed  the  order 
to  ' '  lay  aloft. "  Being  light  and  active 
his  station  was  at  the  extreme  end  of 
the  yard  on  the  main-to'-gallants'l. 
Here,  resting  on  the  footrope  and 
grasping  the  jackstay,  he  would  stand 
and  look  down  on  the  deck,  which,  from 
that  height,  appeared  like  the  back  of 
a  huge  snake  wriggling  through  the 
water.  With  so  much  weight  above 
it  seemed  impossible  for  the  ship  to 
maintain  her  equilibrium  while  plow 
ing  through  the  waves.  Sometimes 
he  would  close  his  eyes  and  try  to 
believe  the  boat  was  keeling  over,  but 
she  always  righted  when  he  opened 
them  again. 

It  was  inevitable  that  the  bright 
little  English  girl  should,  sooner  or 
later,  discover  Paul's  identity  in  the 
young  sailor  whose  duties  often  called 
him  to  that  portion  of  the  deck  abaft 
124 


ABOARD  THE  CITY  OF  SYDNEY          125 

the  wheelhouse  held   sacred  to  saloon 
passengers. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  his  story  had 
already  been  discussed  at  the  saloon 
table.  One  of  the  circus  performers, 
having  noticed  the  lad's  resemblance 
to  their  former  fellow  passenger, 
chanced  to  mention  the  circumstance 
in  the  presence  of  the  mate,  who,  of 
course,  explained  away  the  mystery. 
Gossip  in  restricted  quarters  spreads 
rapidly,  any  incident  is  news  on  ship 
board,  so  that  Paul's  sudden  transposi 
tion  furnished  material  for  speculation 
to  the  entire  cabin.  Some  sympa 
thized  with  the  youngster's  ambition 
to  see  the  world;  a  few  expressed  the 
opinion  that  he  would  better  be  at 
steady  work,  while  several  hinted  sig 
nificantly  that  perhaps  the  young  scape 
grace  had  good  reasons  for  leaving 
America.  Uncharitable  people  like  the 
latter  are  always  to  be  met,  but  for 
tunately  they  are  in  a  blessed  minority. 
Those  who  had  been  on  speaking  terms 
with  the  lad  were  prompt  to  reject 
a  suggestion  so  palpably  absurd  and 
unjust. 

In   Miss   Ethel   Paul    unconsciously 


126    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

found  a  warm  defender.  Someone  in 
her  hearing  having  referred  slightingly 
to  her  quondam  companion,  with  the 
fearlessness  of  youth  she  rebuked  the 
speaker  and  stoutly  resented  the  im 
plied  slur. 

It  was  shortly  after  a  discussion  of 
this  nature  that  his  champion  met 
Paul  face  to  face  as  the  latter  stood 
coiling  ropes'  ends  around  their  re 
spective  belaying  pins  on  the  starboard 
quarter,  aft. 

Four  or  five  days  had  elapsed  since 
Honolulu  had  been  left  behind  and  this 
was  their  first  meeting.  Several  times 
Ethel  had  been  on  the  point  of  speak 
ing  to  her  former  acquaintance,  but 
Paul  had  always  evaded  her  approach. 
It  was  now  impossible  to  avoid  her 
without  appearing  positively  rude. 

"You  don't  know  how  astonished  I 
was  to  find  you  back  here  again,"  she 
exclaimed  in  a  breath,  as  if  anxious  to 
save  him  any  explanations;  "but  I  am 
sure  it's  all  right  and  I'm  awfully  glad 
you  didn't  stay  in  Honolulu." 

"You  are  very  kind,  Miss  Ethel," 
he  murmured,  keeping  his  eyes  fixed 
on  the  rope  he  continued  coiling.  ' '  The 


ABOARD  THE  CITY  OF  SYDNEY         127 

truth  is, "  he  blurted,  suddenly  meeting 
her  sympathetic  gaze,  "I'm  trying  to 
see  a  bit  of  the  world,  and  as  my 
money  gave  out  I  started  in  to  work 
my  way  as  far  as  I  could." 

"And  quite  proper,  too,  I  am  sure." 

"That's  what  I  thought.  It  isn't 
so  very  easy, "  he  confessed,  half  laugh 
ingly,  "and  not  nearly  so  pleasant  as 
when  I  was  a  passenger,  but  I  don't 
mind  it  now  I'm  getting  used  to  the 
work.  How  is  your  mamma?  Does 
she  still  keep  to  her  cabin?" 

"Oh,  my,  yes;  and  Jones,  too.  Cap 
tain  Dearborn  threatened  this  morning 
to  have  them  both  carried  on  deck  by 
force  if  they  didn't  try  to  get  up,  but, 
of  course,  he  was  only  joking.  You 
don't  know  how  I  miss  our  walks  and 
talks,"  she  added,  wistfully. 

"You  are  very  good  to  say  so,  Miss 
Ethel, "  returned  Paul,  as  he  threw  the 
last  coil  over  the  pin  where  it  belonged. 
"I  wish — but  no,  what's  the  use  of 
wishing.  It  will  be  a  pleasant  thought 
always,  though,  to  know  that  you  en 
joyed  our  short  acquaintance. "  Then, 
as  he  spied  the  form  of  the  second 
mate  coming  toward  them,  he  hastily 


128         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

doffed  his  hat,  and  crossed  to  the  port 
side,  where  more  uncoiled  ropes  awaited 
his  dexterous  manipulation. 

The  second  mate  still  had  it  in  for 
Paul,  and  took  it  upon  himself  to 
make  life  on  shipboard  as  burdensome 
as  possible  to  the  lad.  When  he  was 
in  charge  of  the  deck  Paul  was  sure 
to  get  the  meanest  and  most  obnox 
ious  duties  assigned  to  him,  regardless 
of  his  adaptability  to  the  work,  and  if 
everything  did  not  prove  satisfactory 
the  young  sailor  was  deluged  with  curses 
by  way  of  reward  for  his  pains. 

These  unpleasant  attentions  became 
so  marked  that  the  usually  unimpres 
sionable  sailors  forming  the  port  watch 
declared  the  little  bulldog  took  a  special 
dislike  to  Paul  because  he  was  a  gen 
tleman.  Among  themselves  he  was 
simply  "Chicago,"  the  only  title  by 
which  they  addressed  him,  and  that 
he  was  a  general  favorite  with  all  was 
proof  positive  that  the  attitude  of  the 
second  mate  was  wholly  unwarranted. 

So  far  Paul  had  been  able  to  main 
tain  a  perfectly  respectful  exterior  to 
ward  his  tyrant,  although  on  several 
occasions  he  was  sorely  tempted  to 


ABOARD  THE  CITY  OF  SYDNEY         129 

rebel.  But  his  philosophy  had  nerved 
him  to  accept  the  situation  meekly, 
and  he  had  determined  that  nothing 
should  induce  him  to  talk  back. 

But  there  are  limits  to  one's  most 
patient  endurance,  as  Paul  was  fated 
to  discover.  Scarcely  had  he  begun 
to  coil  the  tangled  ropes  that  lay  on 
the  port  deck  when  the  bulldog  bore 
down  upon  him. 

"What  were  you  chinning  that  girl 
for?"  he  demanded,  in  his  most  inso 
lent  manner. 

A  quick  retort  sprang  to  the  lad's 
lips,  but  repressing  it  by  an  effort,  he 
deliberately  turned  his  back  on  the 
little  bully  and  grimly  stuck  to  his 
task. 

His  attitude  was  so  contemptuous 
that  the  mate  could  not  fail  to  inter 
pret  it  aright,  and  his  bile  rose  in 
stantly. 

"You  young  whelp!"  he  shouted. 
"D'you  think  you  were  hired  to  loaf 
away  time  by  spinning  fairy  tales  to 
the  passengers?  Just  keep  your  mon 
key  tongue  to  home  or  I'll  shove  you 
down  in  the  lazarette  for  a  few  days 
to  teach  you  manners.  You  can't  play 

9 


13°         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

the  sympathetic  dodge  on  this  boat 
while  I'm  around." 

If  Paul  could  have  annihilated  the 
fellow  with  a  look  the  hot  glance  he 
flashed  at  him  would  have  shriveled 
the  mate  in  his  tracks.  So  far  he  had 
let  all  insults  pass  unnoted,  but  this  mis 
erable  insinuation  made  him  very  angry. 
Furious  with  rage,  he  turned  savagely 
on  his  tormentor.  "You  coward,"  he 
hissed,  "if  I  had  you  on  shore  and 
you  were  ten  times  my  size  I'd  lick 
you  for  that  if  I  died  doing  it.  But 
I've  stood  all  I'm  going  to  take  from 
you  anyway,  mister,  so  just  keep  your 
hands  off." 

The  worm  had  turned.  Paul  con 
fronted  his  enemy  with  a  mien  so  un 
daunted  that  it  told  the  officer  he  had 
made  a  mistake.  The  sturdy,  well- 
knit  youngster,  for  all  his  soft  skin  and 
smooth-spoken  ways  had  plenty  of  grit 
As  he  stood  there  with  the  half-coiled 
rope  quivering  in  his  left  hand,  his 
right  fist  hanging  clinched  by  his  side, 
and  his  face  blazing  with  honest  in 
dignation,  he  presented  a  striking  con 
trast  to  the  scowling  mate,  who,  after 
muttering  some  unintelligible  threats, 


ABOARD  THE  CITY  OF  SYDNEY         131 

turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  rapidly 
toward  the  bridge. 

Angry  as  he  was,  Paul  could  not  help 
laughing  to  see  the  sulky  humor  dis 
played  by  the  little  bulldog  as  he  went 
snarling  away.  But  he  mentally  vowed 
that  he  would  hold  no  further  conver 
sation  with  the  saloon  passengers.  It 
hurt  his  pride  to  be  accused  of  seek 
ing  sympathy. 

Next  morning  was  Sunday,  and  the 
day  was  ushered  in  by  a  funeral. 
Not  of  a  human  being,  but  of  a  favor 
ite  black  performing  stallion  belonging 
to  the  circus,  which  had  died  during 
the  night.  Its  trainer  shed  real  tears  as 
the  inert  form  of  his  pet  was  hoisted 
over  the  side,  and  even  the  hardy  sail 
ors  felt  a  sympathetic  throb  as  the 
glossy  hide  of  the  dead  brute  struck 
the  water  with  a  great  splash  and  was 
swallowed  up  by  the  waves.  The  white 
belly  of  a  shark  was  seen  as  it  rushed 
toward  its  prey,  and  Paul  had  an  un 
comfortable  twinge  as  he  realized  how 
easily  the  latter  might  have  been  a 
passenger  or  one  of  the  crew  instead 
of  a  dumb  animal. 

Down  in  the   fo'castle   Sunday  was 


132          PAUL  TR AVERS1  ADVENTURES 

devoted  to  the  repairing  of  wardrobes, 
washing  of  clothing,  haircutting,  shav 
ing,  bathing  and  other  personal  affairs, 
which  a  partial  respite  from  cargo 
shifting,  paint  cleaning  and  brass  pol 
ishing  rendered  possible.  Lying  in  his 
bunk,  watching  the  wreaths  of  cigar 
ette  smoke  that  were  puffed  up  by  the 
swarthy  Spaniard  below  him,  Paul 
half  forgot  the  indignities  to  which  he 
had  been  subjected,  and  for  a  few  hours 
listened  with  drowsy  delight  to  the 
yarns  spun  by  the  heterogeneous  mix 
ture  that  composed  the  crew  of  the 
City  of  Sydney. 

A  careless,  godless  gathering  of  the 
restless  element  of  all  nations.  Scandi 
navian,  Finn,  Spaniard,  Italian,  French, 
English,  German  and  Greek,  with  a 
whaler  or  two  from  New  Bedford  and 
several  fresh-water  sailors  from  the  big 
inland  lakes;  grumbling  constantly,  as 
is  their  wont,  yet  ready  in  an  instant 
to  face  the  dirtiest  weather  that  ever 
fell  to  '  the  lot  of  a  navigator.  Good 
enough  fellows  of  their  kind,  but  a 
kind  that  was  not  the  best  in  the  world 
for  an  impressionable  lad  to  become 
intimate  with.  Luckily  the  compan- 


ABOARD  THE  CITY  OF  SYDNEY         133 

ionship  was  not  to  continue  long  enough 
to  leave  any  lasting  ill  effects  on  Paul. 

Sunday  dinner  for  the  cabin  passen 
gers  was  usually  a  swell  affair,  and  as 
the  appetizing  odor  from  the  saloon 
galley  seeped  into  the  fo'castle  Paul 
could  not  help  an  involuntary  sigh  for 
the  fleshpots  of  Egypt,  as  he  thought 
of  their  own  regulation  "salthorse" 
and  the  pale  slabs  of  bilious  pudding, 
known  as  ''plum  duff,"  thrown  in  by 
way  of  Sunday  dessert.  Fo'castle  fare 
palled  on  his  palate  for  the  time  being. 

When  the  port  watch  went  on  duty 
that  evening  there  was  a  fair  wind 
and  little  to  do  except  laze  around 
and  wait  for  orders.  While  resting 
in  the  shadow  of  the  engine  room  Paul 
felt  a  light  touch  on  his  elbow,  and 
the  musical  voice  of  the  English  lassie 
suddenly  recalled  him  from  dreams  of 
home.  Before  he  could  stammer  a 
refusal  she  had  thrust  into  his  hands 
half  a  dozen  oranges  that  she  took 
from  a  black  silk  bag  and  which  she 
ordered  Paul  to  slip  inside  the  loose 
tennis  shirt  he  wore. 

"But,  Miss  Ethel,"  he  protested,  "I 
really  can't  permit  you  to — " 


134         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

"Hush,  sir,  not  a  word,"  was  the 
half  laughing,  half  imperious  retort. 
' '  I  bribed  the  pantryman  to  get  these 
for  me,  and  you  must  take  them  or  I 
shall  feel  hurt.  Here  are  some  nuts 
and  raisins,  too,  so  hold  open  your 
pockets,"  and  regardless  of  Paul's  dep 
recations  the  warm-hearted  girl  emptied 
the  bag  of  its  contents. 

"All  right,  since  you  insist,"  he  said 
resignedly;  "but  I  claim  the  privilege 
of  dividing  the  spoils  with  my  watch. " 

"Do  as  you  please,  only  take  them," 
she  answered  lightly,  and  with  a  merry 
laugh  and  a  cordial  good-night  disap 
peared  in  the  gloom. 

The  port  watch  had  its  full  share  of 
the  plunder  from  the  cabin  table  and 
asked  no  questions.  The  sailors  ac 
cepted  what  was  given  without  caring 
to  know  how  it  was  obtained,  and  in 
doing  so  displayed  a  true  philosophical 
spirit  worthy  of  the  craft.  Nor  was 
that  their  only  feast,  for  the  week  fol 
lowing,  on  six  successive  nights,  the 
black  silk  bag  came  up  loaded  from 
the  cabin  and  its  burden  was  duly 
transferred  to  Paul's  capacious  tennis 
shirt. 


ABOARD  THE  CITY  OF  SYDNEY        135 

During  this  time  the  little  bulldog 
had  refrained  from  openly  blackguard 
ing  Paul,  but  he  never  failed  to  evince 
his  hostility  to  the  lad  by  assigning 
him  to  the  most  onerous  tasks  when 
ever  he  was  on  duty.  Once  he  hap 
pened  along  just  as  Paul  was  distributing 
the  night's  plunder  among  his  fellow 
sailors,  but  they  scattered  quietly  and 
apparently  escaped  detection. 

It  was  shortly  after  this  that  the 
big  fruit  box  on  the  main  deck  just 
aft  of  the  engine  room  was  broken 
open  during  the  night  and  a  quantity 
of  bananas  and  other  edibles  abstracted. 
The  crew  was  subjected  to  a  rigid  ex 
amination,  but  nothing  incriminating 
was  proved  and  inquiry  had  about  sub 
sided  when  the  second  mate,  with  a 
malignant  grin,  asked  one  of  the  sailors 
who  gave  him  the  fruit  that  he  had 
seen  him  surreptitiously  eating  on  sev 
eral  consecutive  nights  while  on  watch. 

The  man  was  staggered  and  tried 
to  evade  the  question,  but  the  mate 
was  persistent  and  the  story  of  Paul's 
generosity  had  to  be  disclosed.  The 
bo's'n  was  instantly  dispatched  to  find 
the  youngster,  and,  with  the  little  bull- 


136         PAUL -TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

dog  as  his  accuser,  Paul  was  promptly 
haled  before  the  first  mate  to  explain 
his  conduct  and  to  tell  how  and  when 
he  obtained  the  fruit. 

"It  was  given  me  on  several  differ 
ent  occasions  by  one  of  the  cabin 
passengers,"  was  the  reply. 

"Which  passenger?" 

"I  prefer  not  to  give  the  name." 

"But  you  must  if  you  expect  me 
to  believe  such  a  yarn, "  exclaimed  the 
mate  contemptuously. 

"I  am  very  sorry,  Mr.  Le  Due," 
said  Paul,  feeling  how  hopeless  this 
rendered  his  case,  ' '  but,  indeed,  I  can 
not  tell  you." 

"Then,  sir,  I  am  compelled  to  think 
that  you  are  lying  and  a  thief  to  boot. 
Bo's'n,  lock  him  up  in  the  lazarette 
until  Captain  Dearborn  decides  what 
shall  be  done." 

The  lazarette  was  a  dark  hole  on 
the  deck  below  the  saloon  cabin,  a 
stuffy  compartment,  where  the  liquor 
was  stored  and  where  big,  gray  rats 
held  high  revel.  Into  this  dismal,  illy- 
ventilated  hold  Paul  was  rudely  thrust 
and  left  to  commune  with  his  thoughts, 
his  only  protection  against  utter  dark- 


ABOARD  THE  CITY  OF  SYDNEY         137 

ness  being  a  tallow  candle  set  in  a 
horn  lantern  which  swung  from  a  beam 
overhead. 

Arming  himself  with  a  stave  to  re 
pel  unpleasant  boarders,  Paul  climbed 
on  top  of  a  barrel  of  rum,  and,  draw 
ing  up  his  knees,  fell  to  pondering  his 
position. 

The  situation  was  dubious,  he  had 
to  confess,  and  the  chances  for  proving 
his  innocence  appeared  slim.  With  a 
deep  sigh  he  reflected  that  he  could 
not  expect  his  good  luck  to  last  for 
ever,  and  must  prepare  for  the  other 
kind,  which  he  knew  was  bound  to 
overtake  him  sometime.  Of  course 
there  was  a  way  of  clearing  himself, 
but  he  instantly  rejected  the  notion  of 
divulging  the  name  of  his  fair  bene 
factor.  Better  rats  and  misery  than 
be  guilty  of  so  scurvy  a  trick  as  that, 
he  decided. 

Eight  long,  weary  hours  he  passed 
in  the  foul-smelling  lazarette,  with  only 
one  caller  from  the  outside  world,  who 
left  a  pannikin  of  water  and  some 
hard  bread  for  the  prisoner's  diet. 
There  were  plenty  of  other  callers, 
though,  from  within;  big  fellows,  with 


138    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

black,  beady  eyes  and  ugly-looking 
teeth,  whose  eager,  hungry  looks  made 
Paul's  flesh  creep.  But  the  vigorous 
manner  in  which  he  handled  the  barrel 
stave  kept  the  rats  at  a  respectful  dis 
tance,  and  so  long  as  the  lantern  held 
out  to  burn  he  was  safe  from  attack. 

But  the  candle  sunk  lower  and  lower 
in  its  socket,  and  Paul's  heart  was 
correspondingly  depressed  as  the  pros 
pect  of  total  darkness  insinuated  itself. 
Nerved  to  desperation,  he  began  to 
search  around  the  lazarette  and  at 
length  discovered  three  candle  stumps 
tucked  away  in  a  crevice,  which  the 
rats  had  been  unable  to  reach.  Over 
joyed  at  his  find  he  bore  his  precious 
prizes  back  to  the  barrel  and  then 
grimly  waited  while  the  candle  in  the 
lantern  slowly  melted  away.  But  be 
fore  it  sputtered  out  he  caught  the 
dying  gleam,  and  in  the  still  warm 
socket  inserted  the  first  of  his  fresh 
supply. 

Three  times  the  lone  watcher  deftly 
made  the  transfer  of  his  candle  stumps, 
and  Paul  could  not  help  thinking  that 
the  operation  was  a  good  deal  like 
sitting  up  with  one's  own  corpse.  But 


ABOARD  THE  CITY  OF  SYDNEY         139 

what  next?  His  last  candle  end  was 
now  burning,  and  only  an  inch  or  so 
remained  between  him  and  the  horrible 
darkness.  He  tried  to  shout,  but  the 
low  ceiling  flung  back  all  sound  and 
showed  him  the  futility  of  his  efforts. 

Then,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving 
home,  his  nerve  failed  him,  and,  bury 
ing  his  face  in  his  hands,  the  poor  boy 
groaned  in  misery.  Presently  a  scuf 
fling  among  the  refuse  at  the  base  of 
the  barrel  recalled  his  wandering  senses, 
and,  with  an  exclamation  of  disgust, 
Paul  awoke  to  life  and  renewed  cour 
age  in  time  to  aim  a  quick  blow  at  a 
big,  saucy  rat  that  was  making  des 
perate  leaps  to  reach  the  silent  figure 
on  the  barrel. 

Just  as  the  candle  was  expiring  and 
odd  shadows  were  chasing  each  other 
around  the  compartment  the  door  of 
the  lazarette  was  thrown  back  and  the 
bo's'n's  voice  called :  ' '  Hello,  Chicago !" 

"Aye,  aye,  sir." 

"Cap'n  wants  you  on  deck." 

Down  slid  Paul  from  his  perch,  and 
in  two  seconds  he  had  scrambled  up 
the  short  steps  to  the  fresher  air  above. 
Filling  his  lungs  as  he  followed  his 


140         PAUL  TR AVERS1  ADVENTURES 

guide,  he  presently  emerged  on  the 
upper  deck,  where  the  cool  night  wind 
singing  through  the  shrouds  made 
sweetest  music  in  his  ears. 

Captain  Dearborn  received  him 
brusquely  but  kindly.  "Look  here, 
my  lad,"  he  said,  "we  have  found  the 
real  thief  that  broke  open  the  fruit  bin, 
which,  of  course,  exonerates  you.  I 
have  also  learned  where  your  supply 
came  from.  The  young  lady  has  been 
to  see  me  and  explained  everything. 
I  am  sorry  that  you  were  placed  in 
durance,  but,  as  you  know,  the  evi 
dence  was  against  you.  Now  go  and 
turn  in  and  report  for  duty  in  the 
morning. " 

"Very  good,  sir,"  replied  Paul,  some 
what  mystified.  "But,  if  you  will  ex 
cuse  me,  captain,  surely  Miss  Eth — 
that  is — you  don't  mean  to  say  the 
young  lady  is  the  culprit?"  and  his 
looks  of  consternation  were  a  study. 

The  skipper  broke  into  a  hearty  laugh. 
"Well,  no,  hardly  that.  Perhaps  it 
is  only  fair  to  tell  you  that  some  of 
the  passengers  —  two  of  the  circus 
troupe,  in  fact — drank  more  wine  than 
was  good  for  them  last  night,  and  in 


DOWN  IN-  THE 
LAZARET  TE. 


ABOARD  THE  CITY  OF  SYDNEY         141 

a  crazy  freak  looted  the  fruit  bin. 
They  very  promptly  owned  up  to  it 
when  they  learned  one  of  the  crew 
had  been  charged  with  the  theft. 
Then  came  the  young  lady  to  tell  of 
her  share  in  forging  the  chain  of  evi 
dence,  after  which  I  sent  for  you  at 
once.  Better  say  nothing  about  this," 
he  added,  as  Paul  stepped  back  toward 
the  door.  "The  bo's'n  will  explain 
that  you  are  innocent." 

"All  right,  sir,  I'll  remember,"  re 
turned  Paul,  saluting  as  he  withdrew. 
But  as  he  walked  slowly  toward  the 
fo'castle  he  thought  a  little  bitterly  of 
the  horrors  of  the  last  few  hours;  of 
the  search  for  candles;  of  his  agony 
lest  the  light  should  fail;  of  the  black, 
beady  eyes  and  sharp  teeth  of  the 
rats,  and  of  the  unjustness  of  it  all. 
Then  he  turned  in;  but  his  sleep  was 
troubled,  for  a  procession  of  monster 
rats  chased  across  his  pillow  all  night 
long. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

FOLLOWING   THE    RED    WAGON. 

OF  course  no  more  fruit  from  the 
cabin  table  found  its  way  into  the 
fo'castle.  Even  if  the  inclination  re 
mained,  the  opportunity  was  lacking, 
for  a  spell  of  bad  weather  succeeded 
the  long,  unbroken  run  of  pleasant 
sailing,  rendering  the  deck  anything 
but  attractive  to  the  passengers. 

Once  only  Paul  and  the  rosy-cheeked 
English  lass  met  before  Auckland  was 
sighted.  It  was  after  a  steady  down 
pour  lasting  twenty-four  hours,  which 
had  kept  everybody  immured  below 
deck.  Chafing  under  the  confinement, 
the  girl  had  slipped  on  her  London 
goloshes,  donned  her  mackintosh,  and 
stolen  out  of  the  stuffy  saloon  for  a 
breath  of  fresh  air  above.  She  passed 
Paul  as  he  crouched  under  the  lee  of 
the  port  lifeboat,  and  at  first  did  not 
recognize  the  young  sailor  clad  in 
dripping  oilskins,  who  touched  the  brim 
of  his  sou- wester  as  she  scudded  along. 
142 


FOLLOWING  THE  RED  WAGON         H3 

"Oh,  dear,  is  that  you — Paul?"  she 
stammered,  with  a  pretty  hesitancy. 
"I  have  so  wanted  to  see  you.  I 
think  it  was  just  splendid  in  you  not 
to  tell.  I  did  not  hear  of  the  broken 
fruit  bin  until  long  past  dinner-time, 
and  then  only  by  the  merest  accident 
learned  that  you  were  suspected  and 
had  been  put  in  that  horrid  lazarette. 
I  felt  sure  you  hadn't  said  a  word  to 
Captain  Dearborn  about  my  giving  you 
the  fruit,  so  I  went  to  see  him  imme 
diately.  Gracious,  how  he  scolded," 
she  exclaimed,  with  an  expressive 
shrug.  "But  I  didn't  mind  that,  for 
he  promised  to  send  the  bo's'n  to  get 
you  instantly.  He  told  me  the  circus 
men  had  just  owned  up  to  what  they 
had  done,  but  said  I  mustn't  say  any 
thing  about  it,  as  it  was  a  foolish 
piece  of  business.  Did  he  tell  you  I 
had  talked  with  him?" 

' '  Yes,  indeed,  and  " — here  Paul 
looked  rather  foolish — "do  you  know, 
I  came  near  making  a  horrible  blunder? 
The  captain  hadn't  said  a  word  about 
the  circus  fellows,  but  after  telling 
me  the  real  culprit  had  been  found 
he  remarked  that  you  had  called  on 


144          PAUL  TR AVERS1  ADVENTURES 

him  and  confessed  everything.  Well, 
for  a  minute  I  thought  he  meant 
you  had  committed  the  burglary. 
You  should  have  heard  him  laugh 
when  I  declared  it  was  impossible. 
Then  he  explained  more  clearly  and 
sent  me  off  to  my  quarters.  But  it 
was  very  good  of  you  to  go  to  him, 
Miss  Ethel,"  declared  Paul,  earnestly, 
' '  and  I  have  anxiously  looked  for  a 
chance  to  tell  you  how  deeply  I  appre 
ciate  it." 

' '  Nonsense, "  she  retorted.  ' '  It  would 
have  been  despicable  had  I  kept  silent, 
and  I  should  have  hated  myself  ever 
after.  It  is  I,  not  you,  who  am  in 
debted,  and  I  shall  never,  never  for 
get  it."  Then,  with  characteristic  im 
pulsiveness,  she  held  out  both  hands 
toward  Paul,  and  after  leaving  them  in 
his  firm  grasp  for  a  brief  moment,  sud 
denly  snatched  them  loose  and  darted 
away  into  the  mist,  and,  as  he  felt, 
out  of  his  life  forever. 

As  was  natural,  Paul  had  come  in 
contact  with  quite  a  number  of  the 
circus  people  since  his  advent  ' '  before 
the  mast, "from  the  "main  guy, "as  the 
proprietor  was  known,  down  to  the 


FOLLOWING  THE  RED  WAGON    145 

humblest  animal  attendant.  The  knowl 
edge  that  the  troupe  intended  to  make 
a  tour  of  New  Zealand  before  visiting 
the  mainland  of  Australia  had  rilled 
him  with  a  strong  desire  to  see  the 
islands  also.  To  hire  out  to  the  circus 
in  some  capacity  had  been  his  fixed 
purpose  from  the  day  they  left  Hono 
lulu,  but  until  the  fruit-bin  incident  he 
had  been  unable  to  get  any  encourage 
ment. 

His  manly  attitude  on  that  occasion 
was  bruited  around  among  the  troupe 
and  proved  an  open  sesame  to  the  jolly 
Irish-American  who  controlled  the  Great 
American  Consolidated  Arenas.  Word 
came  to  Paul  soon  after  that  if  he 
happened  to  be  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
show  grounds  when  the  big  tent  went 
up  at  Auckland  he  would  be  taken  care 
of  by  the  manager. 

To  quit  the  ship  at  Auckland  was 
his  firm  resolve.  The  little  bulldog 
continued  to  make  things  so  unpleasant 
for  him  that  at  times  he  felt  wicked 
enough  to  steal  up  behind  his  tor 
mentor  and  push  him  overboard. 
Luckily  he  always  managed  to  resist 
this  inclination,  but  after  each  fresh 


H6    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

f 

indignity  he  was  more  than  ever  de 
termined  to  break  away  at  the  first 
opportunity. 

Perhaps  the  second  mate  divined 
the  intention  of  the  young  sailor,  for, 
as  the  ship  steamed  into  the  Auckland 
harbor,  he  ordered  the  bo's'n's  mate 
to  keep  his  weather  eye  on  the  lad, 
who,  having  signed  articles  for  Sydney, 
was  amenable  to  discipline  if  detected 
in  an  attempt  to  "jump  the  ship." 

One  of  the  sailors  in  the  port  watch, 
chancing  to  overhear  the  mate's  in 
structions,  warned  Paul  to  be  on  the 
lookout,  and  suggested  that  he  throw 
the  little  bulldog  off  the  scent  by  wait 
ing  until  all  the  paraphernalia  of  the 
circus  was  unloaded  on  the  wharf 
before  he  made  a  move.  This  advice 
was  so  good  that  Paul  concluded  to 
profit  by  it,  so  instead  of  trying  to 
steal  away  the  first  night,  as  he 
originally  intended,  he  turned  out  next 
morning  at  daylight  to  bear  a  hand 
in  unloading,  and  for  the  rest  of  the 
day  worked  almost  under  the  nose  of 
his  persecutor. 

The  ruse  was  successful.  His  sus 
picions  lulled,  the  little  bulldog  relieved 


FOLLOWING  THE  RED  WAGON    147 

the  bo's'n's  mate  from  further  espion 
age,  and  that  very  night  Paul  slung 
his  valise  over  his  shoulder,  shinned 
down  a  rope  that  hung  over  the 
vessel's  side,  dropped  like  a  cat  on 
the  wharf,  and  quietly  disappeared  in 
the  direction  of  the  town. 

Snugly  hidden  in  a  convenient  lodg 
ing  house  which  commanded  a  view  of 
the  shipping,  Paul  did  not  venture 
forth  until  the  City  of  Sydney  had 
cast  off  her  mooring  ropes  and  was 
steaming  out  into  the  ocean  again. 
Then,  safe  from  all  pursuit,  he  quickly 
made  his  way  to  the  circus  grounds, 
where  the  ' '  boss "  canvasman  was 
marking  out  the  pins  for  the  big  tent. 

"Hello,  Chicago!"  was  the  greeting 
he  received.  ' '  How  did  you  manage  to 
break  away?" 

' '  French  leave, "  returned  Paul, 
laconically. 

"Want  to  go  to  work?" 

"Sure  thing." 

"Grab  a  sledge,  then,  and  join  that 
gang  over  yonder;  you'll  get  all  the 
exercise  you  want  with  this  outfit." 

Paul  selected  a  light  sledge-hammer 
from  the  pile  indicated,  and,  slinging 


148    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

it  across  his  shoulder,  trudged  to  the 
north  end  of  the  grounds,  where  five 
men,  under  the  direction  of  the  assist 
ant  boss  canvasman,  a  tall  freckled- 
faced  young  fellow  called  "Redney," 
were  driving  stakes. 

Redney  grinned  as  the  lad  ap 
proached.  "Made  it  all  right,  didn't 
ye?"  he  said.  "Well,  git  a  move  on 
yer  and  edge  in  here." 

The  gang  widened  and  made  a  space 
for  the  newcomer.  Circled  around  a 
fresh  stake  pin  the  first  man  tapped 
it  into  an  upright  position;  after  which 
each  hammer  fell  in  rapid  sequence 
until  the  billet  was  driven  home,  and, 
Redney  calling  "belay,"  the  squad 
passed  on  to  the  next  pin. 

This  was  Paul's  introduction  to  circus 
life.  It  was  some  days  before  he  be 
came  adept  at  slinging  a  sledge,  and 
many  a  time  he  missed  the  pin  and 
broke  the  continuity  of  blows  by  com 
ing  down  on  his  neighbor's  hammer. 
But  he  had  been  putting  on  muscle 
down  in  the  hold  of  the  City  of  Syd 
ney  and  his  hard  labor  there  now 
served  him  an  excellent  turn. 

The  boss  canvasman  was  right  when 


ESCAPING  FROM 
THE  SHIP. 


FOLLOWING  THE  RED  WAGON         1 49 

he  told  Paul  he  would  get  all  the  ex 
ercise  he  wanted.  The  canvas  hands 
were  worked  like  horses  and  treated 
with  even  less  consideration  than  is 
usually  accorded  dumb  animals.  The 
majority,  however,  were  but  little  better 
than  brutes.  A  drinking,  thieving  lot 
of  men,  homeless,  friendless  and  des 
titute  of  any  self-respect,  with  a  sprink 
ling  of  the  greatest  rascals  that  ever 
cheated  justice.  For  weeks  they  had 
awaited  the  coming  of  the  circus, 
which  had  been  extensively  billed  in 
advance,  and  the  tougher  the  applicant 
the  more  likelihood  of  his  being  em 
ployed. 

This  was  the  sort  of  society  in  which 
Paul  mingled  for  the  next  ten  days 
following  his  connection  with  the  show. 
But  in  the  second  week  of  his  engage 
ment  the  property  man  chanced  to 
take  a  fancy  to  Paul's  active  figure, 
and  with  the  consent  of  the  boss  can- 
vasman  the  lad  transferred  his  allegi 
ance  to  the  "dressing  room,"  where 
he  came  into  more  intimate  relations 
with  the  stars  of  the  arena — the  leapers, 
tumblers,  bareback  riders,  clowns,  con- 


15°  PAUL  TR AVERS1  ADVENTURES 

tortionists,  trapeze  performers  and  con 
jurers. 

The  "dressing  room"  was  a  wall 
tent',  a  trifle  the  worse  for  wear,  divided 
into  two  compartments  by  a  strip  of 
canvas,  on  either  side  of  which  the 
male  and  female  members  of  the  troupe 
disrobed  and  ' '  made  up  "  for  the  ring. 
Across  this  flimsy  barrier  the  star 
actors  flung  jokes  and  exchanged  re 
partee  during  the  process  of  dressing, 
and  in  one  corner  of  the  tent  Paul 
was  initiated  into  the  secret  of  balloon 
making — those  flat,  tissue-paper,  circus 
affairs  with  which  every  American  boy 
and  girl  is  so  familiar. 

His  ship  name  stuck  to  him.  He 
was  ' '  Chicago  "  to  everybody  from  the 
day  he  hired  out  to  the  show,  and  as 
"property  boy"  he  was  at  the  beck 
and  call  of  everyone  who  had  the 
run  of  the  dressing  room.  But  in 
spite  of  the  drudgery,  the  snubs  and 
indignities,  Paul  actually  enjoyed  the 
new  condition  of  things.  This  was 
seeing  life  in  earnest,  and  if  being  be 
hind  the  scenes  took  away  much  of 
the  glamour  of  the  ring,  it  added  largely 
to  the  lad's  experience. 


FOLLOWING  THE  RED  WAGON    151 

Paul  possessed  the  happy  faculty  of 
forgetting  unpleasant  things  quickly. 
He  saw  and  heard  a  great  deal  that 
was  not  calculated  to  elevate  him  either 
mentally  or  morally  during  the  three 
months  he  traveled  with  the  circus, 
and  yet  it  is  doubtful  if  his  sense  of 
right  and  wrong  was  in  the  slightest 
degree  blunted  by  his  temporary  affil 
iation  with  the  show  people. 

The  troupe  remained  nearly  three 
weeks  at  Auckland,  with  audiences 
packed  clear  to  the  ring.  The  day 
before  the  circus  was  to  sail  for  Well 
ington  Paul  was  taken  with  a  raging 
headache,  and  by  the  time  the  night 
performance  was  over  he  was  burning 
up  with  a  fever.  Heroic  doses  of 
quinine  served  to  check  the  latter,  but 
the  pain  in  his  head  continuing,  some 
one  suggested  a  dose  of  chloral,  which 
the  lad  swallowed  unquestioningly. 

Through  a  stupid  blunder  on  the 
part  of  the  chemist  the  quantity  given 
was  largely  in  excess  of  the  regulation 
amount,  so  that  next  day  when  the 
Rotomahana  was  ready  to  sail  his 
circus  friends  carried  Paul  on  board 
still  unconscious.  Of  that  short  voy- 


152    PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

age  along  the  New  Zealand  coast  to 
the  capital  of  the  north  island  the 
poor  boy  knew  nothing,  nor  had  he 
recovered  his  senses  when  the  troupe 
disembarked  at  Wellington. 

There  were  subdued  voices  in  the 
room  adjacent  when  Paul  finally  awoke 
to  a  consciousness  of  his  surroundings. 
He  lay  perfectly  still  for  a  long  time, 
trying  to  decide  where  he  was,  and 
by  what  means  he  had  reached  quar 
ters  so  unfamiliar.  The  room  was 
evidently  in  a  hotel,  that  was  appar 
ent  from  the  meager  appointments. 
Had  the  troupe  left  him  behind  at 
Auckland,  or  was  this  Wellington? 
If  the  latter,  how  did  he  get  there? 

Still  drowsy  from  the  effects  of  the 
drug,  he  closed  his  eyes  and  was  drift 
ing  away  again  when  the  door  between 
the  two  rooms  was  pushed  open,  and 
a  female  voice,  which  he  recognized, 
recalled  his  wandering  senses. 

"Isn't  it  singular,  Jenny,  that  the 
boy  doesn't  wake  up?  Dick  called  in 
a  doctor  to  see  him,  and  he  said  that 
there  was  no  danger,  but  I  declare  I 
don't  like  the  looks  of  it,  do  you?" 

' '  Why,  it   is    queer, "  assented   the 


FOLLOWING  THE  RED  WAGON    153 

other,  whom  Paul  knew  as  one  of  the 
women  riders,  ' '  but  why  wasn't  he  left 
at  Auckland,  Fanny?" 

' '  Oh,  Dick  took  a  fancy  to  him. 
He  said  it  was  a  shame  to  leave  him 
behind  among  strangers,  so  he  guar 
anteed  to  stand  all  expenses,  and 
asked  the  'old  man'  to  let  him  come 
along  with  us.  Just  look  at  the  boy's 
face,  Jen;  he's  from  a  pretty  good 
family,  I  know.  Wonder  why  he  left 
his  home?" 

"Yes,  and  haven't  you  noticed  how 
well  he  talks,  too.  The  boys  say  he 
ran  away  from  his  folks  to  go  around 
the  world.  Do  you  suppose  they  have 
any  idea  where  he  is?  What's  his 
real  name,  Fanny?" 

' '  Paul  Travers,  I  believe ;  his  people 
live  in  Chicago.  Dick  found  a  letter 
from  the  boy's  father,  and  he  says 
he'll  write  to  the  old  gentleman  if  the 
young  one  doesn't  get  better  soon. 
No  use  scaring  him,  though,  without 
any  need  for  it." 

The  door  was  closed  and  the  voices 
became  inaudible.  Thoroughly  awake, 
Paul  recollected  with  a  sensation  of 
relief  that  he  had  mailed  two  letters 


154    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

home  the  second  day  after  reaching 
Auckland.  He  felt  very  thankful  that 
Dick  had  not  yet  written  to  his  father. 

Dick  Baxter,  or,  as  he  appeared  on 
the  circus  bills,  "Leonard  Trevylian," 
the  wire-rope  bicycle  rider,  was  one 
of  the  star  attractions.  His  wife  did 
a  clever  "manege  act"  also,  besides 
singing  in  the  concert  at  the  close  of 
the  regular  performance.  He  had  gone 
out  of  his  way  on  one  or  two  previous 
occasions  to  do  Paul  a  good  turn,  and 
now,  it  appeared,  he  was  instrumental 
in  bringing  him  to  Wellington.  A 
single  salty  tear  fell  on  his  cheek  as 
Paul  dwelt  on  this  last  kindness  to  an 
almost  total  stranger.  Thinking  of  it 
helped  him  to  throw  off  the  lethargy, 
and  with  a  great  effort  he  opened  his 
eyes  again  and  sat  up  in  bed. 

He  was  only  partially  undressed. 
His  hat,  coat  and  shoes  lay  on  a  chair 
by  the  washstand.  Nerving  himself 
to  the  attempt,  Paul  crawled  out  of 
bed  and  started  across  the  uncarpeted 
floor  to  reach  them.  But  he  had  over 
estimated  his  powers;  the  room  spun 
before  his  eyes  and  he  sunk  in  a  nerve 
less  heap  just  as  the  hall  door  opened, 


FOLLOWING  THE  RED  WAGON    155 

and  his  friend  Dick,  entering,  ex 
claimed:  "What  are  you  trying  to 
do,  kid?" 

"Get  up,"  murmured  the  boy. 

"Yes?  Well,  don't  be  in  too  much 
of  a  sweat, "  was  the  playfully  sarcastic 
response.  "You  sneak  back  into  bed 
again  until  you've  had  a  square  meal 
inside  of  you.  D'ye  know  how  long 
you've  been  asleep?" 

"I  can't  imagine,"  returned  Paul, 
dropping  thankfully  across  the  foot  of 
the  bed,  "but  I  know  you  have  been 
very  kind  to  me." 

"Oh,  pshaw!  that's  nothing.  But 
what  do  you  think  of  sleeping  seventy- 
two  hours  at  a  stretch  without  wak 
ing  once?  That's  the  kind  of  a  trick 
you've  been  up  to." 

' '  Seventy-two  hours  without  wak 
ing?"  Paul  repeated  in  bewilderment. 
"Is  it  possible ?"  Then  after  a  minute's 
thought  he  exclaimed:  "Ah!  It  must 
have  been  the  medicine  they  gave  me. 
It  was  too  strong,  I  guess." 

'  *  Well,  yes,  rather, "  said  Dick  dryly. 
"Took  enough  to  put  the  big  elephant, 
Queenie,  to  sleep.  Lucky  thing  you 


I56    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

had  a  good  constitution,  or  it's  good 
bye,  Mister  Chicago,  that  trip." 

Paul  smiled  feebly  and  again  ex 
pressed  his  gratitude  to  his  good  friend 
for  what  he  had  done.  But  Dick  cut 
short  further  remarks  by  hastening 
downstairs  to  order  a  bowl  of  beef 
tea  and  other  nourishing  food  for  his 
patient. 

Paul's  recovery  was  rapid.  Two  days 
later  he  was  back  at  the  circus  filling 
his  former  assignment  of  balloon-mak 
ing  and  in  a  week  had  fully  regained 
his  accustomed  strength. 

One  morning,  about  three  days  after 
the  Wellington  engagement  expired, 
Paul  found  the  ringmaster  fretting 
under  a  bad  dilemma.  Dick  Baxter, 
the  bicycle  rider,  whose  act  was  billed 
as  one  of  the  star  performances,  was 
suddenly  attacked  by  typhoid  fever, 
and  a  substitute  had  to  be  procured 
in  order  to  keep  faith  with  the  colo 
nials.  In  this  case  it  was  not  so  easy 
to  provide  an  understudy,  as  the  bicy 
clist's  act  was  to  ride  across  a  wire  rope 
stretched  from  pole  to  pole  some  forty 
or  fifty  feet  above  the  ring. 

The  grooved  wheel  he  sat  was  held 


FOLLOWING  THE  RED  WAGON         1 57 

in  position  by  two  trapeze  performers, 
whose  combined  weight  maintained  the 
equilibrium  of  the  machine.  It  was 
Dick's  custom,  when  the  center  of  the 
ring  was  reached,  and  amid  the  breath 
less  suspense  of  the  audience,  to  stand 
on  his  head  on  the  saddle  of  the  wheel, 
the  gymnasts  preserving  a  rigid  immo 
bility  below  during  the  progress  of  the 
thrilling  scene. 

Aside  from  this  daring  feat  it  was  not 
much  of  a  trick  to  work  the  treadles, 
but  it  required  considerable  nerve  to 
climb  to  that  height  and  calmly  submit 
to  the  jars  and  joltings  of  the  trapeze 
performers,  whose  gyrations  swayed  the 
fragile  wheel  clear  out  of  perpendicular 
every  time  they  moved. 

In  vain  the  ringmaster  begged  and 
bullied  the  leapers  and  tumblers  to 
essay  the  feat.  Each  one  he  adjured 
flatly  refused  to  entertain  the  propo 
sition  for  a  minute,  although,  as  he 
explained,  he  did  not  expect  them  to 
stand  on  their  heads,  but  simply  to 
ride  the  wheel.  Finally  one  of  the 
leapers  jokingly  cried:  "Why  don't 
you  ask  '  Chicago '  to  do  it?  He's  used 
to  going  aloft." 


158    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

The  ringmaster  in  despair  turned  to 
him.  "How  is  it,  Chicago?  do  you 
want  to  ride  the  wheel  for  me  until 
Dick  gets  well  ?  " 

' '  I  wouldn't  mind  trying  it,  sir,  on 
one  condition." 

"What's  that?" 

' '  If  you'll  agree  to  pay  Dick  his 
salary  right  along." 

The  ringmaster  thought  a  minute. 
"I'll  do  it,"  he  said.  "We're  going 
to  move  Dick  to  a  private  hospital 
this  afternoon,  and  his  wife  will  stay 
behind  to  nurse  him  until  he  is  able 
to  join  us.  He  shall  be  taken  care  of 
all  right." 

"It's  a  go,  then;  I'll  try  it,"  was 
Paul's  quiet  response. 

"Very  good;  we'll  have  a  rehearsal 
in  an  hour,  or  as  soon  as  the  stallions 
have  been  worked.  Meantime  you  and 
the  Kelseys  talk  it  over." 

The  Kelseys  were  brother  and  sis 
ter.  They  were  the  two  who  per 
formed  on  the  trapeze,  which,  affixed 
to  the  wheel,  hung  below  the  wire  rope. 
Both  assured  the  lad  there  wasn't  a 
particle  of  danger  if  he  kept  cool  and 
that  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  sit  firmly 


FOLLOWING  THE  RED  WAGON    159 

in   the   saddle  and   work  the  treadles 
while  they  did  their  "act"  underneath. 

They  explained  how  he  was  to  get 
on  the  wheel  after  they  were  in  posi 
tion,  their  weight  insuring  the  perpen 
dicularity  of  the  machine  and  reducing 
the  danger  to  a  minimum.  For  like 
reasons  he  was  to  get  off  first  when 
the  performance  was  over,  and  stand 
on  the  platform,  so  they  could  descend 
together  to  receive  the  plaudits  of  the 
relieved  audience  in  proper  style. 

When  the  hour  had  expired  Paul 
was  ready  to  make  the  trial  trip,  and, 
wearing  a  pair  of  borrowed  canvas 
shoes,  he  stepped  into  the  arena,  where 
the  ringmaster  anxiously  awaited  his 
coming. 


CHAPTER  X. 

CIRCUS    LIFE    IN   NEW   ZEALAND. 

A  SELECT  audience  had  gathered  in 
the  big  tent  to  see  the  property  boy 
break  his  neck.  On  the  two  lower 
rows  of  reserved  seats  were  congre 
gated  half  the  talent  in  the  show, 
whose  witticisms  at  Paul's  expense 
would  have  quickly  driven  him  dis 
heartened  from  the  field  could  he  have 
heard  them.  But  his  eyes  were  fixed 
on  the  ringmaster  and  his  thoughts 
on  poor  Dick,  so  that  he  barely  no 
ticed  the  buzz  of  comment  which  arose 
as  he  faced  the  manager. 

"Now,  my  boy, "began  Ringmaster 
Mclntyre,  "I  don't  want  you  to  have 
an  attack  of  stage  fright  and  fall  off 
and  break  your  neck  when  you  get 
up  yonder.  There  isn't  any  real  dan 
ger  if  you  don't  get  rattled,  and  I 
hardly  think  you'll  do  that.  Are  you 
ready  to  try  it?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

1 60 


CIRCUS  LIFE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND        161 

"Up  you  go,  then,  and  good  luck 
attend  ye." 

Slipping  his  right  foot  into  a  bow 
line  that  hung  from  the  pole  ring,  and 
with  both  hands  firmly  clutching  the 
rope,  Paul  was  rapidly  hauled  aloft 
by  two  property  boys  until  he  reached 
the  platform  level  with  the  wire  cable 
where  the  bicycle  was  fastened. 

Waving  his  hand  as  a  signal  to  stop, 
he  swung  himself  into  the  eyrie,  re 
leased  his  foot  from  the  loop  and  sent 
the  rope  down  again  for  the  use  of  the 
Kelseys. 

Up  they  came  together,  laughing 
and  chatting  lightly,  as  if  it  were  the 
jolliest  picnic  imaginable.  Their  gaiety, 
whether  false  or  genuine,  served  to 
reassure  Paul,  who,  to  tell  the  truth, 
was  almost  in  a  blue  funk.  But  he 
held  his  teeth  close  together  to  keep 
his  heart  from  taking  an  unexpected 
leap  outward,  and  a  dogged  deter 
mination  to  go  through  to  the  end 
possessed  every  fiber  of  his  being. 

Loosing  the  chain  which  pinioned 
the  wheel  to  the  pole,  he  let  the  ma 
chine  slide  along  the  cable  until  it  was 
clear  of  the  platform  and  then  held 


1 62    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

it  steady  until  the  gymnasts  had  taken 
their  seats  on  the  trapeze  below. 

Now  came  his  turn.  For  an  instant 
he  glanced  below  and  saw  the  set  face 
of  the  manager  intently  watching  him 
from  the  edge  of  the  ring.  He  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  ' '  main  guy "  on  the 
reserved  seats  surrounded  by  the  flower 
of  the  troupe,  now  strangely  silent, 
and  then,  with  a  queer  ringing  in  his 
ears  and  a  slight  film  before  his  eyes, 
he  vaulted  into  the  saddle  and  was 
half  way  between  the  poles  before  he 
realized  what  had  happened. 

"  Bravo!  bravo!  Chicago! "arose  from 
a  dozen  throats,  accompanied  by  a 
vigorous  clapping  of  hands,  as  the 
company  testified  its  appreciation  of 
Paul's  grit. 

Arrived  at  the  further  pole,  the  young 
bicyclist  reversed  the  action  of  the 
treadles  and  worked  backward  to  the 
starting  point,  repeating  the  operation 
several  times  until  he  had  acquired  a 
perfect  control  of  the  machine. 

During  these  preliminary  trials  the 
performers  remained  inactive  on  the 
bars,  not  deeming  it  prudent  to  at 
tempt  any  of  their  feats  until  the  rider 


CIRCUS  LIFE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND         163 

had  become  thoroughly  accustomed  to 
the  novelty  of  his  position. 

The  severest  test  was  yet  to  be 
made.  After  the  fourth  trip  across,  the 
gymnasts  started  in  to  rehearse  their 
program,  and  as  the  wheel  swayed 
dangerously  over  from  left  to  right 
and  then  back  again  it  was  all  Paul 
could  do  to  keep  from  throwing  him 
self  from  his  perch  and  grasping  the 
cable  at  his  feet.  But  the  worst  shock 
of  all  came  at  the  close,  when  the 
male  tumbler,  hanging  suspended  by 
his  knees,  caught  his  sister  by  the 
right  wrist  and  left  ankle,  and,  dexter 
ously  turning  her  face  downward,  held 
the  girl  outstretched  in  full  view  of  the 
audience. 

The  suddenness  of  the  movement 
carried  the  wheel  far  out  to  the  right; 
then  back  it  flew  to  the  left  of  center, 
rocking  frightfully  on  its  grooved  tires 
and  threatening  every  second  to  be 
come  displaced.  For  a  moment  Paul 
had  an  awful  feeling  of  nausea  at  the  pit 
of  his  stomach,  then  his  hair  seemed  to 
shoot  straight  upward,  his  lower  limbs 
trembled  so  violently  that  his  feet 
played  a  fandango  on  the  treadles, 


164    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

and  a  great  desire  to  emit  an  agoniz 
ing  yell  became  paramount.  But  the 
wheel  righted,  the  wobbling  ceased, 
and,  with  the  word  "go"  rising  from 
below,  the  discomfited  rider  pulled 
himself  together  and  slowly  worked 
the  machine  back  to  the  platform, 
which  he  quickly  occupied. 

Fastening  the  wheel  to  the  pole,  he 
was  ready  in  an  instant  to  make  the 
descent,  and  a  minute  later  was  tread 
ing  the  sawdust  and  receiving  the  con 
gratulations  of  Ringmaster  Mclntyre 
and  the  entire  troupe.  He  had  won 
his  spurs  and  was  property  boy  no 
longer. 

Paul  was  to  make  his  initial  bow  to 
the  colonials  at  the  matinee  perform 
ance.  As  he  could  not  appear  in  his 
working  clothes,  it  was  absolutely 
necessary  that  he  be  furnished  with  a 
suitable  outfit,  so  the  wardrobes  of  the 
entire  troupe  were  ransacked  to  supply 
his  deficiencies.  A  pair  of  slippers  from 
one,  silk  tights  from  another,  trunks 
from  a  third,  a  spangled  vest  from  a 
fourth,  with  a  belt  and  other  generous 
contributions  from  the  feminine  side 
of  the  dressing-room,  served  to  pro- 


CIRCUS  LIFE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND        165 

vide  him  with  a  handsome  equipment 
for  his  new  position.  His  trimly-built, 
compact  figure,  which  showed  to  good 
advantage  in  his  snug-fitting  garments, 
evoked  numerous  comments  from  the 
performers  as  Paul  hastened  toward 
the  big  tent  in  response  to  the  call 
from  a  property  boy,  and  the  senti 
ment  was  general  that  ' '  Old  Mac " 
had  made  a  ten-strike  in  hiring  ' '  Chi 
cago. " 

As  usual,  the  audience  filled  every 
seat  and  spread  over  the  ground  clear 
to  the  edge  of  the  ring  wherein  Paul 
and  the  Kelseys  now  stood,  with  the 
girl  hand-clasped  in  the  center,  making 
their  initiatory  bows.  This  was  no 
time  to  show  the  white  feather,  and 
yet  that  same  sickening  sensation  which 
he  experienced  in  the  forenoon  was 
insidiously  stealing  over  him  as  he 
mounted  to  his  aerial  perch.  Again 
he  clinched  his  teeth,  and  by  sheer 
will-force  fought  back  the  horrible 
feeling  which  threatened  to  overwhelm 
him.  He  wondered,  as  he  stood  there 
watching  his  companions  ascend,  if 
this  were  akin  to  stage  fright,  and 
whether  it  would  result  disastrously 


166          PAUL  TR AVERS1  ADVENTURES 

in  spite  of  his  efforts.  His  heart-beats 
were  so  violent  that  he  fancied  every 
person  in  the  tent  must  hear  them, 
and  for  a  moment  he  held  his  hand 
at  his  left  side  as  if  to  stifle  the  pal 
pitations.  But  now  the  gymnasts  were 
seated,  there  was  no  excuse  for  delay, 
and  with  a  great  gulp  that  was  half 
sob,  half  sigh,  he  swung  himself  into 
the  saddle  and  began  anew  his  ex 
periences  of  the  morning. 

All  at  once  the  unpleasant  sensations 
left  him.  It  was  as  if  a  leaden  weight 
had  been  snatched  from  his  shoulders 
and  dropped  into  the  ring  below.  The 
revulsion  was  so  great  that  he  could 
have  shouted  for  joy  had  it  been  con 
sistent  with  the  dangerous  part  he  was 
enacting.  Back  and  forth  he  rode, 
utterly  unmindful  of  the  tumblings  of 
the  gymnasts,  and  not  even  at  the 
final  coup,  which  so  upset  him  in  the 
morning,  did  he  experience  the  slight 
est  tremor.  There  was  a  smile  on  his 
face  that  was  genuine  as  he  bowed 
his  acknowledgments  to  the  storm  of 
applause  which  greeted  the  trio  when 
they  descended,  and  the  ringmaster's 
cheery  "Well  done,  Chicago,"  amply 


CIRCUS  LIFE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND        167 

repaid  him  for  the  cost.  But  better 
than  all  was  the  thought  that  Dick's 
welfare  was  assured. 

Two  pounds  a  week  in  English 
money  and  his  expenses  was  the  mod 
est  stipend  which  Maclntyre  allotted 
Paul  for  risking  his  neck  twice  a  day 
in  this  manner.  The  sum  was  not 
large,  but  it  more  than  sufficed  for  the 
lad's  wants,  and  in  a  few  weeks  he 
had  managed  to  add  materially  to  his 
scanty  wardrobe,  which  sadly  needed 
replenishing.  Before  leaving  Welling 
ton  he  called  at  the  hospital  to  see 
his  friend  Dick,  but  the  poor  fellow  was 
delirious  and  failed  to  recognize  the 
youngster  he  had  befriended.  His 
wife  was  pleased  to  see  Paul,  however, 
and  warmly  thanked  him  for  his  gen 
erous  action,  of  which  she  had  heard 
through  her  circus  friends.  She  as 
sured  him  that  if  Dick  ever  got  well 
he  would  be  glad  to  know  he  had  not 
made  a  mistake  when  he  played  his 
good  Samaritan  act.  At  which  Paul 
blushed,  and,  with  many  fervent  wishes 
for  Dick's  speedy  recovery,  left  the 
little  circus  woman  dissolved  in  tears. 

For   two   months    following  this  in- 


1 68    PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

terview  Paul  played  his  star  engage 
ment  on  the  aerial  wire  without  mishap 
and  to  the  intense  delight  of  thousands 
of  good  colonial  subjects  of  Queen 
Victoria.  In  addition  to  the  bicycle 
act  his  services  were  utilized  in  the 
ring  to  place  poles  for  the  horses  to 
leap  over;  as  the  banner  bearer,  across 
which  the  bareback  riders  turned  som 
ersaults,  and  again  as  balloon  holder, 
through  which  the  lady  riders  dashed 
headlong  as  they  careened  around  the 
circle.  The  boy  fully  earned  his  salary. 

But  he  made  lots  of  friends,  too, 
and  in  a  community  that  was  always 
indulging  in  internecine  quarrels,  the 
result  of  petty  jealousies,  he  retained 
the  good-will  of  every  one.  Perhaps 
his  warmest  attachment  was  for  the 
lion  tamer,  a  stalwart,  black-mustached 
six-footer,  known  as  the  "Parson," 
who,  in  addition  to  subjugating  wild 
animals,  had  entire  charge  of  the 
menagerie  annex. 

It  was  in  the  menagerie  that  Paul 
spent  much  of  his  leisure  time,  for  he 
had  always  been  partial  to  natural 
history,  and  this  was  an  opportunity 
to  study  at  close  range  not  to  be  dis- 


CIRCUS  LIFE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND        1 69 

regarded.  ' '  Old  Tobe, "  the  big,  tooth 
less  lion,  learned  to  know  his  voice,  and 
never  failed  to  stick  out  his  paw  for 
a  friendly  shake  when  the  lad  passed 
his  cage.  Tiny  ' '  Mimi, "  a  pretty  little 
marmoset  monkey,  would  chatter  with 
delight  when  Paul  approached  her, 
and  at  his  departure  would  cling  to 
the  bars  and  cry  piteously  for  his  re 
turn.  Even  vicious  "Potiphar, "  the 
black  elephant  that  had  killed  two  of 
his  keepers,  permitted  Paul  to  fondle 
his  trunk  and  feed  him  crackers,  a 
supply  of  which  he  usually  kept  in  his 
pocket  when  he  visited  the  elephants. 

There  was  one  member  of  the  "Par 
son's"  family  with  which  Paul  could 
never  get  on  intimate  terms,  despite 
all  his  friendly  advances.  This  was 
a  beautifully  spotted  tigress  called  Sa 
tan,  which  the  lion  tamer  had  formerly 
exhibited  when  she  was  younger,  but 
whose  ugly  temper  had  compelled  him 
to  desert  after  two  or  three  attempts 
that  nearly  cost  him  his  life. 

One  day,  while  showing  at  a  place 
called  Timaru,  along  ninety-mile  beach 
in  the  middle  island,  Satan  broke 
loose  from  her  cage.  The  time  she 


17°    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

chose  for  this  pleasantry  was  imme 
diately  following  the  afternoon  per 
formance,  when,  luckily,  the  menagerie 
was  pretty  well  deserted,  only  Paul 
and  the  attendants  chancing  to  be 
present.  Feeding  time  had  arrived, 
and  a  mass  of  raw  meat,  placed  inad 
vertently  in  front  of  her  cage,  had  so 
tantalized  Satan  that  she  tore  up  the 
floor  near  the  front  of  her  prison,  and, 
squeezing  through,  with  a  wild  scream 
of  delight  reached  in  a  bound  the  quiv 
ering  meat  for  which  she  hungered. 

At  that  moment  Paul  was  feeding 
tiny  "Mimi,"  the  pet  monkey,  not  a 
dozen  steps  from  where  Satan  lay 
crouching  and  snarling.  The  shouts 
of  terror  from  the  scattering  attendants 
and  the  hasty  glance  he  caught  of  the 
liberated  animal  were  enough  to  cause 
him  to  join  the  others  in  a  mad  rush 
for  safety,  and  in  a  minute  he  was 
shinning  up  the  main  guy  of  the  center 
pole  as  if  a  battalion  of  wildcats  was 
hot  on  his  trail. 

The  "Parson"  was  feeding  his  pet 
lions  strips  of  raw  beef  when  Satan's 
triumphant  cries  rang  through  the 
menagerie,  and  although  his  back  was 


CIRCUS  LIFE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND         1 71 

toward  the  tigress  he  divined  instantly 
what  had  happened.  Seizing  his  heav 
ily  loaded  whip,  without  a  moment's 
hesitation,  the  intrepid  fellow  strode 
across  to  where  Satan  lay  worrying  a 
bloody  bone.  She  growled  savagely 
as  he  approached,  and  began  lashing 
her  beautiful  tail  from  right  to  left, 
while  her  long,  supple  spine  gradually 
arched  as  she  rose  for  a  spring. 

From  his  coign  of  vantage  aloft 
Paul  was  an  intensely  interested  spec 
tator  of  what  followed.  He  saw  the 
lion-tamer  concentrate  his  fearless  gaze 
on  the  escaped  brute,  which  for  one 
moment  quailed  before  his  piercing 
eyes.  That  moment  was  fatal  to  her 
hopes  of  liberty.  Like  a  flash  of 
lightning  the  loaded  whip  leaped  in 
the  air  and  descended  with  the  force 
of  a  sledge  hammer  on  Satan's  skull. 
She  sunk  back  with  a  long  wailing  cry 
of  distress  that  was  almost  human, 
and  in  two  minutes  lay  insensible  un 
der  the  terrific  blows  administered  by 
her  trainer. 

By  this  time  half  a  dozen  attendants 
had  rushed  to  the  rescue,  when,  with 
a  single  sarcastic  reference  to  their 


I?2    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

tardiness,  their  chief  curtly  ordered  the 
animal  placed  in  stronger  quarters  and 
placidly  returned  to  the  task  from 
which  he  had  been  so  abruptly  sum 
moned. 

The  lion  tamer  chuckled  as  he  caught 
s^'ght  of  Paul's  lithe  figure  slipping 
down  the  center  pole,  and  he  was  still 
smiling  when  the  lad  joined  him  in 
front  of  the  hyenas'  cage,  which  hap 
pened  to  be  next  that  in  which  the 
attendants  were  depositing  Satan. 

"Say,  son,  you  made  pretty  good 
time  getting  up  there,  didn't  you?"  he 
observed,  in  his  quiet,  drawling  tones. 

Paul  blushed  and  looked  sheepish, 
but  before  he  could  answer,  the  sturdy 
trainer  remarked:  "Oh,  well,  I  don't 
blame  you  for  it,  boy;  but  I  might 
have  expected  something  different  from 
my  own  men."  And  that  was  the 
only  rebuke  the  big-hearted  giant 
launched  toward  his  weak-kneed  at 
tendants,  nor  did  he  ever  recur  to  the 
subject. 

By  gradual  stages  the  circus  covered 
all  the  principal  towns  of  the  middle 
island,  and  at  length  reached  the  pretty 
city  of  Christchurch,  in  the  province 


CIRCUS  LIFE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND        1 73 

of  Canterbury,  where  a  two  weeks' 
stand  was  on  the  program.  At  this 
place  the  troupe  was  reinforced  by  the 
arrival  of  Dick  Baxter  and  his  wife, 
the  former  still  too  weak  to  work,  but 
entirely  recovered  from  his  illness  and 
rapidly  growing  stronger. 

He  greeted  Paul  very  kindly,  thanked 
him  cordially  for  what  he  had  done, 
but  insisted  on  turning  over  half  his 
salary  to  his  substitute.  To  this  the 
latter  stoutly  demurred,  and  ended  by 
flatly  refusing  the  proffered  money. 
Finding  him  obdurate,  Dick  sought  a 
jeweler's  and  purchased  a  plain,  broad 
band  of  Australian  gold,  inside  which 
he  had  engraved: 


DICK  TO  PAUL, 

Jan.  22,  1 88 — . 
In  grateful  remembrance. 


Paul  wore  this  ring  in  sickness  and 
starvation,  in  trouble  and  danger,  all 
through  that  eventful  trip  until  he  was 
safe  home  again.  And  he  wears  it  to 
this  day,  although  the  donor  has  long 
since  lain  at  rest  beneath  the  tropic 


174    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

skies  of  South  America,  a  victim  of  a 
broken  cable  and  his  own  temerity. 

It  was  the  last  day  of  Paul's  appear 
ance  in  tights  and  spangles,  for  Dick 
was  to  resume  his  duties  on  the  mor 
row.  Sitting  on  a  bale  of  hay  out  in 
the  menagerie  tent,  the  lad  was  cogi 
tating  upon  his  next  move.  To  return 
to  the  drudgery  of  "Old  Props'"  rule 
was  too  distasteful  after  the  glitter 
and  glare  of  the  ring,  and  the  offer 
of  peddling  popcorn,  peanuts  and  the 
clown's  song  books  was  not  at  all  to 
his  fancy.  Circus  life,  in  fact,  was  be 
ginning  to  pall  on  him,  when  an  inci 
dent  occurred  which  thoroughly  settled 
the  question  in  his  mind  and  left  no 
hesitating  doubts. 

It  happened  in  thiswise:  The  "boss 
hostler,"  a  man  of  powerful  physique, 
but  with  a  most  ungovernable  temper, 
had  accused  Paul  several  times  of  carry 
ing  cigarettes  over  to  the  horse  tent  to 
give  to  one  of  the  hostlers,  a  half-breed 
Maori,  to  whom  the  lad  had  taken  a 
great  fancy.  This  was  true,  but  when 
' '  Texas, "  as  the  boss  hostler  was  nick 
named,  swore  the  boy  smoked  them 
around  the  hay  and  abetted  the  Maori 


CIRCUS  LIFE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND        175 

in  breaking  the  rules,  the  youngster 
hotly  resented  the  charge,  and  called 
on  the  half-breed  to  prove  that  he  never 
smoked  either  in  or  out  of  the  tent. 

"Oh,  he's  just  as  big  a  liar  as  you 
are,"  snarled"  Texas. 

"You  wouldn't  say  that  twice  if  I 
were  a  man,"  retorted  Paul  savagely. 

' '  Bah !  You're  a  kid,  and  the  nigger's 
a  fool.  After  this  just  keep  out  of  my 
quarters,  or  it'll  be  the  worse  for  you, " 
and  the  surly  brute  strode  off. 

Furious,  but  powerless,  Paul  turned 
to  "Pete,"  the  half-breed,  whose  coal- 
black  eyes  shone  with  suppressed  rage. 

' '  I  kill  that  devil  some  day, "  he 
hissed,  "if  he  no  let  me  be;  I  hate 
him." 

Soothing  the  Maori  with  a  few  well- 
chosen  words,  the  boy  quitted  the  tent 
and  returned  to  the  dressing  room  to 
get  ready  for  the  evening  performance — 
his  last  appearance. 

Two  hours  later,  his  act  over,  he 
heard  Texas  blackguarding  his  hostlers 
for  some  fancied  slight  in  adjusting 
the  pads  on  the  riding  horses,  and 
just  as  he  was  slipping  into  his  street 
clothes  another  wave  of  profanity  floated 


I76         PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

across  the  intervening  space,  the  inten 
sity  of  which  proved  that  Texas  was 
in  a  towering  passion. 

Fearful  that  the  Maori  was  getting 
into  trouble,  and  with  a  vague  notion 
of  averting  some  possible  calamity, 
Paul  hastily  drew  on  his  coat,  wrapped 
a  piece  of  spare  canvas  about  his  head 
and  shoulders  as  a  partial  protection 
from  the  pouring  rain,  and  darted  out 
side  the  dressing  room  across  to  the 
horse  tent. 

He  arrived  just  in  time  to  see  Texas 
pick  up  an  empty  bucket  and  bring 
it  down  with  all  his  might  on  Pete's 
head.  The  wicked  blow  shattered  the 
pail  but  did  not  break  the  Maori's 
skull.  Howling  with  rage  and  pain 
the  half-breed  seized  a  heavy,  iron- 
bound  stakepin  that  lay  at  his  feet 
and  before  anyone  could  divine  his 
intentions  or  stay  his  hand  the  mur 
derous  billet  descended  with  terrific 
force  on  the  circus  man's  right  temple, 
and  Texas  dropped  like  a  log.  Not 
contented  with  this  the  Maori  repeated 
the  blows  again  and  again,  and  before 
assistance  arrived  the  position  of  boss 
hostler  in  the  great  American  consoli- 


CIRCUS  LIFE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND        1 77 

dated  arenas  stood  temporarily  vacant. 

Without  an  instant's  delay  the  crazed 
half-breed  jumped  across  the  body  of 
his  victim,  darted  into  a  vacant  stall, 
lifted  the  flap  of  the  tent,  and  disap 
peared  in  the  black,  pelting  storm. 

But  Paul  had  no  heart  for  the  circus 
after  that.  He  had  been  an  accidental 
witness  of  the  fearful  tragedy,  power 
less  to  prevent  it,  too  horrified  to  speak 
or  move  a  step,  and  yet  he  accused 
himself  of  participating  in  the  crime 
because  he  had  lacked  presence  of  mind 
to  cry  out  to  the  Maori  to  desist. 
He  did  not  realize,  poor  lad,  that  it 
was  a  demon,  not  a  human,  which 
possessed  the  half-breed  in  those  brief 
moments,  and  that  he  might  just  as 
well  have  tried  to  stop  the  howling  of 
the  north  wind.  For  two  days  longer 
he  stayed  with  the  troupe,  and  then 
went  to  the  red  wagon,  drew  what 
little  salary  was  due  him,  bade  good 
bye  to  his  friends  and  left  the  circus 
forever. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

ON    SHIPBOARD    AGAIN. 

THE  city  of  Christchurch  is  seven 
miles  inland  from  the  port  of  Lyttle- 
ton,  and  for  a  good  part  of  that  dis 
tance  a  railroad  is  tunnelled  through 
solid  rock,  an  engineering  feat  of  which 
the  Canterbury  provincials  have  good 
reason  to  be  proud.  It  was  a  gloomy 
journey  for  Paul,  whose  spirits  were 
not  of  the  brightest,  but  a  sniff  of  the 
fresh,  salt  sea  after  his  stuffy  ride  had 
a  cheering  effect,  and  he  soon  forgot 
his  troubles  in  the  effort  to  get  a  berth. 

It  was  his  intention  to  ship  from 
Lyttleton  aboard  one  of  the  passenger 
steamers  plying  between  New  Zealand 
and  Australian  ports — Melbourne  pre 
ferred — which  city  he  was  eager  to 
visit.  But  he  was  not  more  fortunate 
in  obtaining  a  billet  here  than  at  San 
Francisco,  and  after  meeting  a  dozen 
rebuffs  he  gave  up  the  attempt  and 
secured  passage  on  a  small  coaster  to 
178 


ON  SHIPBOARD  AGAIN  179 

Dunedin,  one  of  the  principal  cities  of 
New  Zealand. 

At  Dunedin,  a  bustling,  busy  city 
of  fifty  thousand  inhabitants,  settled 
mainly  by  the  thrifty  Scotch,  Paul 
stayed  three  weeks,  vainly  endeavor 
ing  to  secure  a  position  in  any  capac 
ity  on  one  of  the  many  steamers  touch 
ing  at  that  port.  His  small  savings, 
although  carefully  handled,  slowly 
melted  away  during  this  period  of 
idleness,  and  by  the  end  of  the  third 
week  he  had  dispensed  with  one  or 
two  articles  of  his  wardrobe  which  he 
began  to  regard  as  unnecessary  luxuries. 

The  outlook  was  blue,  and  the  boy 
several  times  thought  regretfully  of 
the  circus  and  his  three  meals  a  day, 
and  wondered  if  he  hadn't  been  too 
hasty  in  burning  his  ships.  One  bright 
afternoon,  while  sitting  on  a  mooring 
block  at  the  wharf,  watching  the 
steamer  for  Melbourne  and  Sydney 
make  fast,  and  mentally  wishing  he 
were  aboard  her,  he  spied  a  familiar 
figure  trot  across  the  gangway  that 
had  just  been  lowered  from  the  vessel's 
side.  In  a  minute  he  was  off  his 


l8o        PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

perch,  yelling,  "Davy,  O  Davy!"  at 
the  top  of  his  voice. 

The  cause  of  this  sudden  outburst 
was  a  slim  lad  about  Paul's  own  age, 
who,  hearing  his  name  called,  halted 
irresolutely,  until,  tracing  the  sound, 
he  gave  a  shout  of  recognition  and 
came  up  the  dock  on  a  run. 

4 '  Hello,  Paul !"  he  exclaimed.  '  'What 
in  the  world  are  you  doing  here? 
Thought  you  was  with  the  circus ! " 

"So  I  was  up  to  a  month  ago,  when 
I  tired  of  the  job  and  quit.  But  say, 
what  are  you  doing  on  the  Koturah?" 

"Working,  faith.  Shipped  as  brass 
trimmer  and  lamp  cleaner  at  Auckland 
trip  before  this  and  like  the  billet  first 
rate.  'Nough  sight  better  than  the 
hotel,  I  can  tell  you." 

Davy  Marston  had  been  a  sort  of 
boy-of-all-work  at  the  hotel  in  Auck 
land  where  Paul  and  the  circus  hands 
boarded  while  the  show  was  in  that 
city  and  the  two  lads  had  become 
quite  intimate.  Davy  was  a  slender, 
dreamy  kind  of  a  chap,  whose  parents 
were  both  dead,  so  that  he  had  been 
compelled  to  shift  for  himself  at  an 
early  age.  Bright,  cheerful  and  oblig- 


ON  SHIPBOARD  AGAIN  l8l 

ing,  he  was  a  most  companionable 
little  fellow,  toward  whom  Paul  had 
been  greatly  attracted.  When  the 
troupe  left  town  Davy  caught  the  fever 
for  travel  and  decided  to  go  away, 
too,  and  through  the  good  offices  of 
the  local  agent  of  the  steamship  com 
pany  he  obtained  a  berth  on  the  Ko- 
turah,  with  which  ship  he  had  made 
the  round  trip  to  Australia  and  was 
now  on  his  second  voyage.  He  de 
clared  money  couldn't  hire  him  to  work 
on  shore  again. 

Paul  sighed.  "Wish  I  could  strike 
a  piece  of  luck  like  that,"  he  dolefully 
exclaimed.  "Do  you  suppose  there's 
any  show  for  me  on  board,  Davy  ? " 

The  boy  puckered  his  forehead  and 
thought  a  minute.  ' '  Seems  to  me  I 
heard  the  pantryman  say  they  were 
shorthanded  in  the  galley.  Tell  you 
what  I'll  do:  Wait  here  while  I  skip 
back  and  see  if  I  can't  put  in  a  few  good 
licks  for  you.  Don't  count  on  me  too 
much,  but  I'll  do  the  very  best  I  can." 

Away  sped  the  good-hearted  young 
colonial,  leaving  Paul  intently  praying 
for  the  success  of  his  mission.  In 


1 82    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

twenty  minutes   the  lad   returned,  his 
honest  face  wreathed  in  smiles. 

"Did  it  up  brown,"  he  gasped,  be 
tween  breaths.  ' '  You're  to  get  your 
kit  and  come  aboard  right  away.  Cook 
says  he'll  find  a  place  for  you  in  the 
galley  helping  him." 

Barely  stopping  to  express  his  grati 
tude,  off  Paul  started  for  his  board 
ing  house,  where  he  settled  his  bill 
with  the  last  shilling  he  possessed, 
hastily  threw  his  belongings  in  his 
valise  and  rushed  back  to  the  vessel, 
where  Davy  was  on  hand  waiting  to 
receive  him. 

Half  an  hour  later  Paul  might  have 
been  seen  in  the  ship's  galley,  seated 
on  an  inverted  bucket,  his  coat  off, 
and  his  sleeves  rolled  back  to  his  el 
bows,  peeling  "spuds"  as  if  he  had 
served  a  life  apprenticeship  at  the 
task.  And  Davy  chancing  by  the  open 
doorway  chuckled  audibly  at  the  sight, 
a  significant  wink  from  Paul  helping 
him  to'  a  keener  appreciation  of  the 
joke. 

The  days  which  ensued  were  full  of 
interest  to  the  young  Chicagoan,  who 
was  too  happy  planning  for  the  fu- 


ON  SHIPBOARD1  AGAIN  183 

ture  to  feel  at  all  humiliated  by  the 
drudgery  of  his  work.  Leaving  Port 
Chalmers  behind,  the  Koturah's  next 
stop  was  at  the  Bluff,  and  then  the 
boat  headed  direct  for  Melbourne, 
reaching  Port  Philip  after  a  delightful 
run.  It  had  been  Paul's  idea  all  along 
to  quit  the  vessel  at  Melbourne,  to 
which  point  he  intended  having  his 
mail  forwarded  from  Sydney,  but  his 
relations  on  board  had  been  so  pleas 
ant  that  when  Davy  urged  him  to  go 
on  as  far  as  Sydney  he  was  easily 
persuaded. 

Before  Port  Jackson  Heads  were 
sighted  one  of  the  understewards  was 
taken  seriously  ill,  and  when  the  Ko- 
turah  steamed  alongside  her  dock  at 
the  circular  quay  his  condition  was  so 
alarming  that  the  ship's  doctor  advised 
his  removal  to  the  city  hospital,  where 
he  could  have  better  care.  This  made 
a  vacancy  on  the  saloon  staff,  which 
the  chief  steward  was  disposed  to  fill 
by  offering  Paul  the  position. 

The  temptation  to  stay  a  while  longer 
in  such  pleasant  quarters  was  so  strong 
that  after  a  short  mental  struggle  Paul 
yielded  and  gracefully  accepted  the 


184    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

proffered  advancement.  But  before 
the  boat  cast  loose  on  her  return  trip 
to  Auckland  he  obtained  leave  to  go 
up  town  to  inquire  for  his  mail,  a  goodly 
budget  of  which  he  fully  expected  to 
find  awaiting  him  at  the  postofrke. 

Nor  was  he  disappointed.  Big,  fat 
letters  in  the  dear,  well-known  hand 
writing  were  given  him  bearing  the 
old,  familiar  Chicago  postmark,  half 
blurred,  it  is  true,  as  usual,  but  still 
decipherable.  He  strolled  over  into 
Cook  Park  for  an  undisturbed  reading, 
and,  sitting  on  a  bench  near  the  colos 
sal  statue  of  the  great  circumnavigator 
in  whose  honor  the  park  is  named, 
greedily  devoured  the  thrice  welcome 
epistles. 

Letters  from  home.  Only  those  who 
have  journeyed  thousands  of  miles  from 
all  they  hold  dear,  and  who  have  been 
deprived  of  all  news  regarding  them 
for  endless  weeks,  can  appreciate  with 
what  trembling  anxiety  Paul  tore  open 
his  first  letter.  He  laughed  and  cried 
by  turns  as  he  read  the  closely  written 
pages  from  his  mother  which  told  of 
Madge's  clever  sayings,  of  Edith's  long 
ings  for  her  comrade  brother,  of  his 


ON  SHIPBOARD  AGAIN  185 

father's  latest  fit  of  ludicrous  forget- 
fulness  and  of  the  hundred  and  one 
petty  details  of  home  life,  every  item 
of  which  was  of  intensest  interest  to 
the  wanderer. 

Now  that  her  boy  was  fairly  launched 
on  his  long  tramp,  the  gentle  mother 
had  ceased  grieving  on  account  of  his 
absence,  but  on  every  page  her  mes 
sages  of  caution  predominated.  As 
Paul  absorbed  the  loving  admonitions 
his  eyes  became  blurred  and  the  tears 
stole  swiftly  down  his  cheeks,  to  be 
stemmed  a  moment  later  as  he  read 
some  particularly  bright  bit  of  absurd 
ity  credited  to  his  light-hearted,  mirth- 
loving  sister,  Madge.  All  the  letters 
were  penned  in  a  cheerful  spirit,  as  if 
the  writers  were  determined  to  leave 
the  recipient  in  a  pleasant  frame  of 
mind  following  their  perusal.  After 
an  hour  spent  in  reading  and  re-reading 
the  precious  missives  the  lad  stowed 
them  carefully  away  in  an  inside  pocket 
and  strolled  back  to  the  ship,  pensive 
but  happy. 

Paul  had  heard  much  about  the 
beauties  of  Sydney  harbor  since  his 
advent  in  southern  waters,  but  the 


1 86    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

realization  of  them  far  exceeded  his 
expectations.  As  the  stately  Koturah 
steamed  down  the  bay  on  her  way  to 
Port  Jackson  Heads,  in  the  full  glare 
of  the  noonday  sun,  a  panorama  of 
entrancing  loveliness  was  unfolded  that 
held  the  lad  spellbound.  All  this  he 
had  missed  on  the  up-trip,  owing  to 
the  lateness  of  the  hour  in  entering 
the  harbor,  so  that  he  now  for  the 
first  time  saw  the  bay  in  all  its  match 
less  splendor. 

The  waters  were  dotted  with  big 
and  little  craft  of  every  description. 
The  gently  sloping  banks  on  either 
side  were  crowned  with  luxuriant  foli 
age,  amid  which  the  eye  caught 
glimpses  of  charming  white  villas  with 
wide,  cool-looking  verandas  and  green- 
jalousied  blinds,  which  lent  a  semi- 
tropical  and  wholly  delightful  aspect 
to  the  harmonious  picture.  That  its 
natural  beauties  and  excellent  anchor 
age  entitled  the  bay  of  Sydney  to  be 
accounted  one  of  the  finest  harbors  in 
the  world  Paul  did  not  question,  and 
he  reluctantly  turned  away  from  the 
enchanting  vision  to  answer  a  per- 


ON  SHIPBOARD  AGAIN  187 

emptory  call  from  below,  where  his 
services  were  needed. 

Outside  Port  Jackson  Heads,  into 
the  Pacific  ocean,  the  Koturah  plowed 
her  way  with  the  fairest  weather 
abreast  her  keel  that  heart  could  de 
sire.  It  was  not  surprising  that,  stirred 
by  the  sight  of  the  broad,  silvery 
moon,  the  pondlike  stillness  of  the 
water,  and  the  soft,  balmy  breezes 
sighing  through  the  shrouds,  the 
younger  people  on  board  should  be 
eager  to  take  advantage  of  a  situation 
so  delightful.  The  consent  of  the  cap 
tain  being  gained,  a  deck  concert  and 
dance  was  planned,  the  proceeds  aris 
ing  from  which  it  was  proposed  to 
donate  to  the  Shipwrecked  Mariners' 
Society  of  New  South  Wales. 

As  everybody  was  expected  to  con 
tribute  in  some  way  to  the  success  of 
the  entertainment,  the  understewards 
were  on  their  mettle.  One  was  a  good 
banjo-player,  another  a  capital  mimic, 
and  a  third  was  clever  at  sleight-of- 
hand  tricks.  Paul  was  urged  by  his 
new  comrades  to  give  a  Yankee  recita 
tion,  and  readily  agreed  to  do  his 
share.  The  second  night  out  from 


1 88    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

Sydney  Captain  Barrett  had  the  after- 
deck  canopied  with  flags  and  bunting, 
the  piano  was  brought  up  from  |he 
saloon,  benches  were  improvised  for 
the  audience,  and  the  passengers  re 
sponded  gallantly  to  the  invitation  to 
fill  the  seats.  Interspersed  among 
them  were  the  sailors,  arrayed  in  their 
best  outfits,  their  blue  jerseys  and 
white  hats  producing  a  very  pleasing 
effect  in  the  soft  light  shed  by  the 
Chinese  lanterns. 

Overhead  shone  the  brilliant  South 
ern  Cross,  the  sharp  outlines  of  which 
could  be  traced  through  the  thin  fabric 
of  the  Union  Jacks  which  formed  a 
partial  protection  from  the  night  dews. 
The  water  was  like  glass;  a  generous 
moon  trailed  her  silvery  sheen  in  the 
vessel's  wake,  and  as  the  musical  notes 
of  the  sweet  soprano  soloist  drifted 
away  from  the  ship  it  required  no 
great  stretch  of  imagination  to  believe 
that  every  tiny  wavelet  rippling  in  the 
molten  beams  was  the  head  of  a  mer 
maid  enticed  to  the  surface  by  the 
wonderful  charms  of  the  human  voice. 

Vocal  and  instrumental  music  in 
solos,  duets  and  quartets  followed  in 


ON  SHIPBOARD  AGAIN  189 

delightful  succession,  alternating  with 
readings  and  recitations  by  the  com 
bined  ship's  talent.  Pauls  modest 
rendition  of  Will  Carleton's  ' '  Betsy 
and  I  Are  Out,"  with  its  homely 
pathos,  seemed  to  strike  a  popular 
chord  in  the  breasts  of  the  audience, 
and  the  "young  Yankee"  was  vigor 
ously  applauded,  an  encore  being  de 
manded.  He  responded  with  John 
Hay's  ' '  Little  Breeches, "  the  delivery 
of  which  completely  captured  the  col 
onists  and  evoked  a  lot  of  pleasant 
compliments  that  were  not  entirely 
undeserved. 

The  concert  ended,  the  benches 
were  carried  away,  the  deck  was  cleared 
for  action,  and  with  piano  and  fiddle 
for  music,  the  younger  passengers  en 
joyed  the  novelty  of  a  dance  in  mid- 
ocean.  Promptly  at  midnight  the  cap 
tain  gave  the  signal  for  "Home,  Sweet 
Home,"  the  tune  changing  quickly  to 
"God  Save  the  Queen, "which  brought 
all  the  loyal  colonials  to  their  feet, 
and  closed  the  evening's  unique  enter 
tainment. 

At  Auckland  the  Koturah  landed 
the  majority  of  her  Australian  passen- 


1 90    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

gers,  but  a  new  batch  was  shipped  in 
their  stead.  At  Wellington  and  Lyttle- 
ton  their  numbers  were  greatly  aug 
mented  by  a  delegation  of  ministers 
and  their  families  who  were  on  their 
way  to  South  Australia  to  attend  an 
annual  conference,  so  that  by  the  time 
Dunedin  was  reached  every  inch  of 
cabin  space  on  the  ship  was  taken. 

The  Koturah  was  not  one  of  the 
best  boats  in  the  service,  but  she  was 
a  good,  stout  vessel,  and,  having  been 
recently  overhauled  and  thoroughly 
repaired,  was  considered  perfectly  safe. 
Her  skipper,  Captain  Barrett,  although  a 
young  man,  was  extremely  popular,  as 
much  on  account  of  his  amiable  disposi 
tion  as  for  his  excellent  seamanship,  so 
that  the  Koturah  usually  carried  a  fine 
passenger  list. 

On  this  occasion  she  was  taxed  to 
her  capacity,  due  to  the  fact  that, 
instead  of  proceeding  direct  to  Mel 
bourne  from  the  Bluff,  she  was  adver 
tised  to  go  first  to  Adelaide,  in  order 
to  accommodate  the  number  of  people 
desirous  of  attending  conference  in  the 
South  Australian  colony.  The  beauti 
ful  weather  which  had  prevailed  so 


ON  SHIPBOARD  AGAIN  igi 

long  attracted  a  much  larger  number 
of  excursionists  than  was  expected, 
and  when  the  boat  left  Dunedin  she 
had  seventy  people  in  the  first  and 
second  cabins  and  about  eighty  steer 
age  passengers. 

Naturally  the  work  of  attending  to 
the  wants  of  so  many  people  gave 
Paul  very  few  leisure  moments,  so 
that  he  and  Davy  had  little  time  to 
visit  or  gossip.  Late  in  the  evening, 
after  leaving  Dunedin,  the  two  boys 
met  in  the  steward's  room  for  a  short 
chat,  when  Paul  was  dismayed  to  find 
his  chum  looking  unusually  serious  and 
depressed. 

"Why,  what  ails  you  to-night, 
Davy?"  he  asked.  "You're  as  glum 
as  a  hired  mourner." 

"I  know  it,  Paul,  and  the  worst  of 
it  is  I  can't  get  over  the  feeling.  It's 
all  on  account  of  a  dream  I  had  last 
night.  I  thought  I  was  lying  on  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean  with  my  eyes 
wide  open,  watching  a  procession  of 
drowned  persons  dropping  down,  down, 
down,  from  the  surface,  directly  before 
me,  and  each  face  bore  such  a  sor 
rowful  expression  that  I  was  terrified, 


1 92    PAUL  TR AVERS1  ADVENTURES 

and  I  know  that  I  must  have  cried 
out  in  my  sleep.  The  picture  was  so 
vivid  that  I  couldn't  forget  it  when  I 
woke  up,  and  do  you  know,  Paul," 
here  the  lad  lowered  his  voice  to  a 
whisper,  "I  have  been  seeing  those 
same  faces  all  day  and  they've  taken 
on  the  features  of  our  new  passengers. 
It  scares  me;  I  feel  as  if  something 
awful  was  going  to  happen,  and  I  can't 
get  rid  of  the  notion  to  save  my  life. 
You  may  laugh,  perhaps,  and  say  it's 
all  nonsense — maybe  it  is — but  the 
thing  sticks.  Ugh!  it's  a  horrible  sen 
sation,"  and  the  boy  shuddered. 

Paul  didn't  laugh.  Davy  had  told 
his  dream  so  simply,  yet  so  earnestly, 
that  he  felt  impressed  in  spite  of  his 
inclination  to  look  upon  the  whole 
matter  as  an  ordinary  nightmare  aris 
ing  from  overwork  and  a  nervous 
physical  condition.  He  saw  Davy  was 
greatly  disturbed,  so  wisely  refrained 
from  treating  the  story  too  lightly. 
"Oh,  well,  old  fellow,"  he  exclaimed, 
in  his  cheeriest  tones,  ' '  I  wouldn't  fret 
about  it;  you  know  that  won't  do  any 
good.  If  I  were  you  I'd  turn  in  right 


ON  SHIPBOARD  AGAIN  1 93 

away   and  get   a    good   sleep.     You'll 
feel  better  in  the  morning." 

Davy  slowly  shook  his  head,  and, 
placing  his  hand  over  his  heart,  brokenly 
observed:  "It's  here  I  feel  it.  There's 
such  a  leaden  weight  that  it  seems  as 
if  something  must  give  way.  Say, 
do  you  believe  in  omens?"  he  abruptly 
inquired. 

Paul  hesitated  before  answering.  "I 
don't  know;  I  have  read  of  some  very 
queer  manifestations,"  he  presently  ad 
mitted,  "but  I  never  had  any  personal 
experiences.  Why?" 

' '  Because, "  said  Davy,  very  solemnly 
and  impressively,  "I  am  certain  that 
dream  of  mine  is  coming  true.  Some 
thing  tells  me  I  shall  never  get  off 
this  boat  alive.  I  can't  describe  my 
sensations;  nothing  like  the  feeling 
ever  took  hold  of  me  before,  but  I 
believe  I  am — am  doomed, "  and,  drop 
ping  his  face  between  his  hands,  the 
sensitive,  overwrought  boy  burst  into 
a  paroxysm  of  tears. 

His  companion  was  greatly  shocked 
and  more  powerfully  moved  than  he 
cared  to  admit  even  to  himself.  "Oh, 
come,  come,  Davy,  you  mustn't  go  on 


194    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

like  this  or  you'll  be  ill.  Let  me  go 
to  the  doctor  and  get  a  prescription 
to  quiet  your  nerves  and  put  you  to 
sleep.  You've  been  working  too  hard, 
that's  what's  the  trouble.  Brace  up, 
old  fellow,  and  don't  get  frightened 
by  a  mere  dream.  You'll  have  for 
gotten  it  by  this  time  to-morrow." 

He  passed  his  arm  caressingly  around 
the  neck  of  the  perturbed  boy  and 
patted  his  shoulder  as  he  strove  to 
soothe  and  reassure  him.  Presently 
the  sobs  ceased  and  Davy  raised  his 
tear-swollen  face.  '  'You're  a  good  chap, 
Paul, "  he  said,  with  an  effort  to  keep  his 
voice  steady,  "and  I'm  so  glad  that  I 
was  able  to  do  you  a  service.  I  want 
you  to  think  well  of  me,  no  matter 
what  happens.  Perhaps  I'm  a  bit 
foolish  after  all. "  Then  he  wrung  his 
friend's  hand,  choked  back  a  sob  and 
turned  away.  And  after  he  was  gone 
Paul  remembered  with  a  queer  thrill 
that  it  was  ' '  good-bye  "  and  not  '  'good 
night"  that  Davy  had  said. 

The  recollection  troubled  him.  He 
was  altogether  too  sturdy  and  healthy 
a  lad  to  be  in  the  least  superstitious, 
but  as  he  strolled  meditatively  toward 


ON  SHIPBOARD  AGAIN  195 

his  bunk  that  "good-bye"  rung  in  his 
ears  until  he* was  almost  tempted  to 
follow  Davy  to  his  berth  and  ask  him 
what  it  meant  But  this,  he  concluded, 
might  lead  to  another  painful  scene, 
so,  shrugging  his  shoulders  as  if  to 
throw  on  an  unpleasant  load,  he  de 
cided  to  turn  in  for  the  night 

Half  a  dozen  of  the  under-stewards 
sat  around  the  sleeping  quarters  in  var 
ious  stages  of  undress  as  Paul  entered 
the  compartment.  Some  of  them  had 
been  discussing  the  ship's  course,  and 
one  of  the  older  boys  remarked  that 
the  meanest  part  of  the  trip  was  just 
ahead.  He  explained  that  the  passage 
from  Dunedin  to  the  bluff,  which,  as 
they  well  knew,  is  the  southernmost 
point  on  the  island,  was  considered 
very  dangerous  on  account  of  the  ex 
tremely  rocky  coast  and  because  the 
course  in  some  parts  lies  right  between 
ugly  reefs  on  one  side  and  a  number 
of  half-submerged  rocks  shoreward. 
Added  to  this  was  a  treacherous  swell, 
requiring  smart  navigation  to  take  a 
vessel  through  safely,  particularly  in 
muggy  weather. 

"Of  course,"  he  oracularly  added, 


196    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

"there's  no  danger  when  a  man  like 
Capt.  Barrett's  on  watch,  and  the  old 
Koturah's  been  through  too  often  to 
get  caught  napping;  but,  just  the  same, 
I'd  as  lief  be  round  the  point  and 
headed  for  Adelaide."  With  which 
comforting  observation  he  kicked  off 
his  shoes  and  disappeared  in  his  bunk. 
It  was  a  long  time  before  Paul 
slept.  The  vision  of  Davy's  sorrowful 
face  haunted  him,  and  then,  too,  the 
yarn  spun  by  the  under-steward,  now 
blissfully  snoring,  aroused  a  vague 
feeling  of  uneasiness  which  would  not 
be  suppressed.  Eight  bells,  midnight, 
struck  before  he  finally  lost  conscious 
ness.  His  last  waking  thoughts  were 
centered  in  a  strange  fancy  regarding 
Davy  and  his  dead  parents.  He  found 
himself  wondering  if  they  had  been 
the  cause  of  his  chum's  grewsome 
dream,  and  whether,  after  all,  it  was 
not  a  note  of  warning  from  the  other 
world. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

WRECK    OF    THE    KOTURAH. 

HE  awoke  suddenly,  a  frightened 
yell  from  one  of  the  boys  causing  him 
to  spring  from  his  bunk  into  the  mid 
dle  of  the  room.  As  he  did  so  a 
horrible,  grinding  sound  was  heard, 
which  seemed  to  come  from  the  heart 
of  the  boat  and  was  accompanied  by 
a  series  of  shocks  that  racked  the 
vessel  from  stem  to  stern.  This  was 
followed  by  a  succession  of  bumps 
which  threatened  to  pound  the  timbers 
into  kindling  wood. 

With  a  sickening  intuition  of  some 
great  disaster,  Paul  scrambled  into 
his  clothes,  disregarding  the  babel  of 
helpless  questions  hurled  at  each  other 
by  the  panic-stricken  stewards.  Pull 
ing  his  cap  on  tight  and  buttoning  his 
coat  as  he  ran  along  the  passage,  the 
lad  mounted  the  companionway  two 
steps  at  a  jump,  and  in  less  than  a 
minute  reached  the  deck  above. 

It  was  about  5  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
197 


198    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

ing.  The  stars  still  appeared  over 
head,  but  a  heavy  mist  enveloped  the 
entire  ship,  rendering  it  impossible  to 
see  twenty  feet  in  any  direction. 
There  was  no  need  to  ask  foolish 
questions.  It  was  only  too  evident, 
from  the  repeated  concussions,  that 
the  vessel  had  struck  a  reef,  and  like 
a  flash  the  gossip  of  the  night  previous 
and,  above  all,  poor  Davy's  dream 
darted  across  Paul's  brain.  He  peered 
anxiously  about  for  a  sight  of  his  chum, 
but  in  that  uncertain  light,  and  with  a 
score  or  more  of  hysterical  passengers 
running  helplessly  in  every  direction, 
the  search  was  useless,  and  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  half-dressed  women 
and  children  who  crowded  up  from 
below,  weeping  and  wringing  their 
hands. 

The  spectacle  presented  by  the 
helpless,  frightened  women  and  terri 
fied  children  was  one  long  to  be  re 
membered.  Their  shrieks  and  cries 
of  despair  served  to  intensify  the  aw 
ful  situation,  and  lent  additional  horror 
to  the  scene.  The  bumping  continued 
incessantly,  and  the  ship  very  soon 
began  to  fill  with  water  which  poured 


WRECK  OP"  THE  KOTURAH  199 

in  through  a  big  gash  in  her  stern  quar 
ter.  The  Koturah  was  fast  between 
two  jagged,  gaping  rocks,  which  she 
had  struck  almost  head  on.  Although 
the  engines  had  been  stopped  and  re 
versed,  it  was  too  late  to  be  of  any 
service.  Apparently  the  boat  was 
doomed. 

It  was  impossible  to  make  any  move 
ment  looking  to  a  rescue  until  the  fog 
lifted  or  daylight  broke,  and  his  utter 
helplessness  for  the  moment  unnerved 
the  captain,  who  met  the  piteous  ap 
peals  of  the  passengers  with  equally 
depressing  responses.  Then,  seeing 
the  bad  effect  this  temporary  weakness 
produced,  by  a  supreme  effort  the 
skipper  pulled  himself  together  and  in 
a  voice  that  was  surprisingly  steady 
issued  orders  for  every  passenger  to 
form  in  a  circle  around  the  mainmast 
until  he  and  his  officers  should  decide 
what  was  best  to  be  done. 

In  half  an  hour  the  mist  cleared  a 
bit  and  as  daylight  waxed  stronger 
the  seriousness  of  the  situation  was 
revealed.  The  boat  was  ashore  on  a 
very  dangerous  reef  at  the  most  des 
olate,  inhospitable  point  along  the  en- 


200    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

tire  New  Zealand  coast.  The  swell 
was  so  terrific  that  every  few  minutes 
huge  seas  broke  over  the  vessel,  carry 
ing  off  all  loose  fixtures  in  their  resist 
less  rush  and  such  of  the  unfortunate 
passengers  who  chanced  to  be  caught 
in  their  mighty  embrace. 

After  a  hurried  consultation  it  was 
decided  that  communication  with  land 
must  be  essayed  immediately,  and 
Captain  Barrett  ordered  one  of  the 
forward  boats  to  be  cleared  for  lower 
ing.  As  it  swung  ready  over  the  side 
a  score  of  steerage  passengers  crowded 
up  with  the  intention  of  forcing  their 
way  in,  but  the  determined  manner 
in  which  the  commander  wielded  a 
stout  belaying  pin  had  the  effect  of 
quelling  their  ardor.  Scowling  and 
muttering  they  fell  back,  sulky  but 
subdued. 

The  boat  was  lowered  away,  but  the 
moment  it  struck  the  water  it  was 
lifted  clean  off  the  tackle  by  which  it 
was  suspended  and  dashed  against  the 
ship's  side,  filling  and  sinking  at  once. 
The  pilot  boat  was  then  made  ready 
and  swung  over  at  a  point  where  the 
water  was  a  little  smoother.  This  at- 


WRECK  OF  THE  KOTURAH  2OI 

tempt  was  successful  and  the  passen 
gers  cheered  when  the  second  officer, 
Mr.  Riley,  with  six  sailors  and  a  vol 
unteer  from  the  steerage,  climbed  in 
and  pulled  away. 

In  about  an  hour  Riley  returned  and 
reported  that  on  account  of  the  heavy 
surf  it  was  impossible  to  get  within 
500  feet  of  the  shore,  but  the  passen 
ger,  a  young  fellow  named  Carey  from 
Timaru,  had  jumped  overboard  and 
swum  safely  to  land,  as  he  was  after 
ward  seen  climbing  a  bluff  and  waving 
his  hands. 

The  captain  looked  glum  when  he 
received  this  bit  of  news.  He  had 
fully  expected  to  be  able  to  land  his 
passengers  with  the  aid  of  the  boats, 
but  it  was  evident  from  Riley's  state 
ment  that  the  women  and  children 
stood  a  poor  chance  of  escape  in  that 
direction.  Even  a  good  swimmer  was 
likely  to  be  drowned  in  the  treacherous 
surf.  Another  hasty  conference  fol 
lowed,  and  then  it  was  decided  to  try 
to  pass  a  line  ashore  from  the  ship, 
that  appearing  to  be  the  only  possible 
method  of  effecting  a  landing. 

Riley    and    his     men     being    pretty 


202    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

well  exhausted,  the  captain  called  for 
volunteers — those  only  who  could  swim 
— and  six  of  the  steerage  passengers 
pressing  forward,  he  placed  the  boat 
in  charge  of  the  first  mate,  with  in 
structions  to  use  every  endeavor  to 
get  a  line  to  the  shore. 

It  looked  then  as  if  the  vessel  were 
the  safer  place,  which  probably  ac 
counted  for  the  few  who  offered  to 
leave.  As  soon  as  the  volunteer  crew 
was  off  Captain  Barrett  ordered  the 
women  and  children  moved  forward 
to  the  smoking  room,  amidships,  where 
there  was  more  protection  from  the 
seas,  which  now  began  to  make  fright 
ful  sweeps  over  the  afterpart  of  the 
vessel. 

It  was  during  one  of  these  mighty 
washes  that  poor  Davy  was  carried 
away.  The  lad  had  been  sent  below 
to  fish  out  a  lantern,  and  just  as  his 
head  appeared  above  deck  a  loose 
spar  struck  him  and  keeled  him  over. 
He  staggered  to  his  feet,  but  at  that 
moment  a  terrific  volume  of  water  was 
impelled  over  the  vessel's  side,  and  as 
it  rushed  away  to  port  poor  Davy  was 
whirled  along  with  it  as  if  he  had  been 


WRECK  OF  THE  KOTURAH  203 

a  cork.  Paul  caught  one  glimpse  of 
his  white,  despairing  face  as  he  rose 
for  an  instant  on  the  crest  of  the  waves, 
and  then  the  boy  was  swept  out  of 
sight  forever. 

Shocking  as  the  accident  was,  Paul 
had  not  a  moment  to  spend  in  shedding 
tears  for  his  lost  chum,  although  his 
heart  was  like  lead.  The  living  mis 
eries  all  around  him  forbade  yielding 
to  any  weakness,  no  matter  how  great 
the  provocation.  There  were  women 
weeping  and  children  sobbing;  women 
that  were  half-dressed,  with  wild  eyes 
and  disheveled  hair,  who  held  their 
little  ones  close  to  their  breasts  and 
alternately  wept  and  prayed  in  their 
hysterical  anguish.  To  them  he  gave 
his  constant  attention,  now  soothing  a 
frightened  child  and  presently  uttering 
words  of  cheer  to  a  distracted  mother. 
The  lad  entirely  forgot  his  own  dis 
comforts  and  peril  and  for  hours  de 
voted  himself  to  alleviating  in  some 
measure  the  misfortunes  of  the  poor 
creatures,  who  appeared  to  have  lost 
all  self-control  in  the  presence  of  this 
awful  catastrophe. 

It  was  not  that  Paul  was  any  braver 


204         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

than  the  rest,  but  his  spirits  seemed 
to  become  more  buoyant  in  the  face 
of  danger,  and  a  strong  determination 
to  contest  to  the  end  took  irresistible 
possession  of  him.  He  could  not  be 
lieve  that  he  was  doomed  to  drown 
after  so  many  escapes  elsewhere  on 
that  momentous  journey,  and  the 
thought  gave  him  additional  courage. 
There  was  no  philosophy  in  this,  per 
haps,  but  the  idea  was  comforting, 
and  the  lad  cherished  it  accordingly. 

Chancing  to  be  near  the  captain, 
shortly  after  the  first  officer  left  with 
his  volunteer  crew,  Paul  was  attracted 
by  the  earnest  manner  in  which  the 
skipper  followed  with  his  glass  the  re 
ceding  boat.  Presently  he  saw  him 
make  a  gesture  of  despair  and  with  an 
agonized  face  turn  to  the  second  en 
gineer. 

"Mack!  Mack!"  he  exclaimed,  "this 
is  awful.  The  boat's  swamped  and 
Pearson  and  his  men  are  in  the  break 
ers.  A  blind  roller  knocked  'em  end 
ways  and  I'm  afraid  everyone  is 
drowned.  For  heaven's  sake  keep 
quiet  about  it;  the  passengers  are  scared 


WRECK  OF  THE  KOTURAH  205 

enough  already.  I  must  send  Riley 
out  again  to  make  another  trial." 

The  second  mate,  with  three  sailors 
and  three  volunteers,  manned  a  second 
boat  and  succeeded  in  getting  clear 
of  the  reef.  Only  the  mate  knew  of 
the  disaster  which  had  overtaken  the 
first  officer.  There  was  no  need  to 
caution  him  about  keeping  a  sharp  look 
out,  for  he  realized  that  the  fate  of 
the  entire  ship  depended  largely  on 
the  success  of  his  efforts. 

It  was  10  o'clock  before  the  second 
boat  was  launched,  and  the  four  hours 
of  daylight  had  given  everyone  an 
opportunity  to  form  some  idea  of  the 
desperate  situation  in  which  the  ship 
was  placed.  The  Koturah  was  appar 
ently  a  hopeless  wreck,  with  her  nose 
jammed  hard  and  fast  on  the  ugliest 
reef  to  be  found  anywhere  along  the 
New  Zealand  coast.  A  big  hole  in 
her  stern  quarter  admitted  tons  of 
water  at  each  wash  of  the  seas,  every 
influx  of  which  materially  weakened  the 
structure.  Groaning  and  writhing  as 
if  in  mortal  agony  from  the  strain,  the 
vessel  threatened  to  go  to  pieces  at 
any  moment.  So  long  as  her  bows 


206    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

remained  nipped  in  the  jaws  of  the  reef 
she  was  fairly  safe,  but  the  constant 
shocks  make  this  a  very  uncertain  ten 
ure.  Captain  Barrett  was  right  in  be 
lieving  it  an  imperative  necessity  to 
either  effect  a  landing  on  the  coast 
or  take  the  remaining  boats  and  pull 
out  to  sea.  Why  he  did  not  adopt 
the  latter  course  while  the  opportunity 
lasted  will  never  be  known. 

Paul  was  not  the  only  person  who 
wondered  why  the  ship  chanced  to  be 
so  near  shore  when  she  struck.  From 
a  hasty  explanation  he  overheard 
Captain  Barrett  giving  the  chief  engi 
neer  he  learned  that  on  account  of  the 
heavy  fog  the  skipper  had  mistaken 
his  position,  and,  not  making  due  al 
lowance  for  the  southerly  swell,  im 
agined  the  Koturah  lay  much  farther 
out.  When  the  ship  struck  the  second 
mate  was  in  charge  of  the  deck,  the 
captain  having  just  retired,  believing 
all  was  well.  The  boat  was  running 
about  ten  knots  an  hour — a  good  aver 
age  speed.  The  lookout,  thinking  he 
heard  the  breakers,  reported  to  the 
mate,  who  ran  to  call  the  captain  in 
stead  of  acting  instantly  himself.  The 


WRECK  OF  THE  KOTURAH  207 

delay  proved  fatal.  Hurrying  on  deck, 
Captain  Barrett  scented  the  danger  im 
mediately  and  ordered  the  helm  hard- 
a-starboard  and  the  engines  reversed, 
but  the  headway  was  so  great  that 
before  she  could  swing  around  the  ves 
sel  went  on  the  rocks. 

For  two  long  hours  the  half-drowned 
passengers  watched  and  waited  for 
Riley's  return.  Cold,  hungry,  and  wet 
to  the  skin,  a  more  miserable  set  of 
human  beings  could  scarcely  have  been 
found.  At  12  o'clock  the  captain  in 
structed  the  chief  steward  to  try  to 
pass  some  kind  of  food  forward  for 
the  passengers  and  crew,  few  of  whom 
had  eaten  a  mouthful  since  the  night 
previous.  For  this  service  two  volun 
teers  were  called.  The  pantryman,  a 
bright  young  fellow  from  Geelong,  and 
Paul  were  the  first  to  respond,  and  a 
line  being  made  fast  to  the  waist  of 
each  the  two  clasped  hands  and 
watched  their  opportunity  to  dash  aft 
to  the  storeroom. 

Almost  drowned  in  the  attempt,  they 
managed  to  emerge  with  a  supply  of 
soaked  crackers,  some  tinned  meats 
and  an  Edam  cheese  which  they  had 


208         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

hastily  thrown  into  a  canvas  bag  that 
was  fastened  to  the  pantryman's  belt. 
There  was  not  enough  to  go  around, 
so  it  was  divided  among  the  shivering 
women  and  hungry,  crying  children. 
A  second  venture  was  essayed  and  the 
bag  filled  with  hard  biscuit,  which 
sorry  food  was  apportioned  among  the 
male  passengers  and  crew. 

Probably  few  on  the  Koturah  at  that 
time  fully  realized  their  imminent 
peril.  The  fog  having  completely 
lifted,  land  was  seen  comparatively 
close  by  and  occasionally  the  dim  out 
lines  of  persons  moving  about  on  the 
shore  could  be  discerned.  It  was  not 
until  Riley's  absence  became  so  pro 
longed  that  hope  began  to  pale,  for, 
the  tide  coming  in,  the  sea  grew 
much  rougher  and  poured  continuously 
through  the  ship,  which  was  likely  to 
go  to  pieces  at  any  minute. 

During  a  temporary  lull  the  second 
mate  was  seen  trying  to  make  up  to 
the  vessel,  but  on  account  of  the  heavy 
swell  he  found  it  impossible  to  get 
alongside.  After  repeated  efforts  he 
was  forced  to  desist,  and  with  a  de 
spairing  gesture  he  waved  a  good-by 


WRECK  OF  THE  KOTURAH  209 

and  pulled  out  to  the  open  sea,  where 
the  waves  were  calmer  and  the  chances 
of  being  dashed  on  the  reef  more 
remote. 

This  action  on  the  part  of  his  sub 
ordinate  decided  Captain  Barrett  to 
waste  no  more  precious  time  in  trying 
to  effect  a  landing  on  the  cruel  coast. 
But  before  he  could  put  his  plan  into 
execution  a  perfect  avalanche  of  water 
descended  on  the  doomed  ship,  carry 
ing  away  the  long  boat,  cutter  and 
dingy,  and  leaving  him  entirely  help 
less.  As  if  in  furious  competition  for 
their  prey  this  was  followed  by  an 
other  monstrous  wave,  which  swooped 
down  upon  the  helpless  wreck  from 
the  opposite  quarter,  tearing  away  a 
big  section  of  the  forward  bulwarks, 
behind  which  nearly  a  score  of  pas 
sengers  were  crouched.  In  a  moment 
all  were  precipitated  in  the  angry 
waters,  their  piteous  appeals  for  help 
falling  on  the  ears  of  those  who  were 
powerless  to  render  the  slightest  as 
sistance. 

This  fearful  disaster,  which  might 
be  their  own  fate  any  moment,  had  a 
most  depressing  effect  on  the  surviv- 
14 


210          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

ors,  who  were  now  collected  in  the 
fo 'castle,  which  was,  perhaps,  the  least 
exposed  part  of  the  ship.  About 
twenty  persons  were  left  out  of  200 
souls.  Some  of  the  women  were  clad 
only  in  their  underclothing  and  night 
dresses,  over  which  a  ship's  blanket 
had  been  hastily  thrown.  All  were 
soaked  through  with  salt  water  and 
suffered  acutely  from  cold  and  hunger, 
physical  discomforts  which,  however, 
were  not  to  be  compared  with  the 
mental  tortures  they  endured. 

As  the  afternoon  waned  and  the 
dreaded  night  wore  on  the  situation 
grew  more  agonizing.  At  about  7 
o'clock  one  of  the  sailors,  lashed  to  the 
foremast,  shouted:  "Lights!  Lights! 
A  boat  in  sight."  Paul  glanced  at 
the  captain,  but  he  shook  his  head 
despairingly;  no  vessel  could  possibly 
approach  near  enough  the  treacherous 
rocks  to  be  of  service.  And  so  it 
proved.  After  trying  in  vain  to  beat 
up  toward  them,  she  was  at  length 
compelled  for  her  own  safety  to  bear 
out  to  sea. 

Since  the  loss  of  the  small  boats  the 
only  hope  of  rescue  lay  in  assistance 


WRECK  OF  THE  KOTURAH  211 

from  a  passing  vessel,  and  when  the 
passengers  saw  the  ship's  lights  grow 
ing  dimmer  and  less  distinct  some  of 
them  lost  all  control  and  fell  to  curs 
ing  and  praying  alternately,  while 
the  heartrending  shrieks  of  agonized 
women  and  the  repressed  sobbing  of 
their  more  self-contained  sisters  added 
to  the  frightful  picture  of  desolation. 
One  old,  white-haired  minister  from 
Napier  tried  to  sing  "Rock  of  Ages," 
but  his  voice  trembled  so  that  he 
broke  down  completely  and  ended  by 
blending  his  tears  with  those  of  the 
unfortunate  females. 

During  all  this  long,  miserable  day, 
by  his  many  little  acts  of  unselfish 
ness  and  his  devotion  to  the  weak, 
trembling  women,  whom  he  tried  in 
every  way  known  to  a  courageous 
heart  to  comfort  and  cheer,  Paul  had 
greatly  endeared  himself  to  the  cap 
tain,  and  the  latter  several  times 
thanked  the  quiet-spoken  American 
lad  for  his  thoughtful  and  timely 
services. 

As  they  crouched  together  in  the 
fo'castle,  waiting  for  the  vessel's  dis 
solution  and  what  seemed  to  be  cer- 


212          PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

tain  death,  Captain  Barrett  suddenly 
bent  down  to  Paul,  who  was  support 
ing  the  limp  figure  of  a  little  girl, 
whose  parents  had  been  swept  away. 

"Travers, "    he   hoarsely  whispered. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"If  by  any  chance  you  get  to  shore 
alive  I  want  you  to  see  the  owners 
and  tell  them  that  if  I  made  a  mis 
take  I  did  what  I  believed  was  for 
the  best.  Will  you  do  this  for  me?" 

"Gladly,   sir,  if  I  get  the  chance." 

"That's  all,  Travers.  You've  been 
a  great  help  to  me,  a  great  comfort, 
lad,  and  may — may  God  bless  and 
preserve  you."  Then  he  wrung  the 
boy's  hand  in  token  of  farewell,  stifled 
a  groan  that  was  half  a  sob  and 
turned  to  speak  a  word  of  cheer  to 
the  second  engineer,  who,  with  a 
crushed  leg,  was  propped  up  against 
the  foremast. 

Poor  Paul's  sympathy  for  the  broken 
hearted  commander  caused  his  tears 
to  flow  unchecked  on  the  damp  locks 
of  his  little  charge,  who  had  cried 
herself  to  sleep  on  his  breast.  Grow 
ing  calmer  he  breathed  an  inward 
prayer  for  his  own  deliverance  and 


WRECK  OF  THE  KOTURAH  213 

fervently  entreated  the  Almighty  that 
the  brave  captain  might  be  included 
among  the  saved. 

From  8  o'clock  until  midnight  the 
only  change  in  the  tense  situation  was 
a  last  move  of  the  survivors  from  the 
fo'castle  to  the  rigging,  made  neces 
sary  as  the  wreck  settled  lower  and 
lower  in  the  water.  It  was  not 
accomplished  without  incredible  exer 
tions,  due  to  the  limp  and  exhausted 
condition  of  the  women,  who  were 
more  than  half  dead  from  fright  and 
the  terrible  exposure.  By  supporting 
the  maimed  engineer  between  them 
Paul  and  the  captain  helped  the  brave 
fellow  to  a  position  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  waves,  although  he  begged 
them  to  leave  him  to  his  fate.  It 
was  just  prior  to  this  change  of  base 
that  the  good  old  minister  pronounced 
a  touching  prayer  invoking  the  bless 
ing  of  the  Almighty  upon  those  who 
were  now  apparently  beyond  all  earthly 
assistance. 

To  Paul,  young,  vigorous  and  with 
the  love  of  life  strong  within  him, 
these  last  hours  in  the  rigging  were 
peculiarly  trying  ones.  Isolated  for 


214    PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

the  first  time  that  day,  each  one 
lashed  in  place  to  prevent  a  surprise 
by  the  angry  waves,  he  was  left  to 
his  own  thoughts,  which  were  any 
thing  but  inspiring.  To  come  so  far 
in  safety  and  then  to  die  like  this! 
It  seemed  too  cruel,  too  unreal!  He 
could  not  believe  it  possible  and  his 
soul  in  anguish  rebelled  against  his 
impending  fate.  He  closed  his  eyes 
tight  to  shut  out  the  horrible,  ghostly 
figures,  lashed  all  around  him,  and 
his  thoughts  flew  to  that  far-away 
home  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan. 
Before  his  mental  vision  rose  those 
dear  faces,  now,  perhaps,  lost  to  him 
forever!  It  could  not,  must  not  be! 
He  would  fight  for  his  life  to  the  last! 
If  all  else  were  drowned  he  must  be 
saved!  He  was  too  young  too  die! 
There  was  so  much  that  he  had 
planned  to  do!  Surely  he  was  not  to 
be  cut  off  so  soon.  And  then  there 
was  his  mother!  "Ah,  God!"  he 
prayed,  "let  me  live  to  see  my  dear 
mother  once  more!" 

A  despairing  cry  from  one  of  the 
unfortunate  creatures  near  him  recalled 
Paul  to  the  awful  scenes  in  which  he 


WRECK  OF  THE  KOTURAH  215 

was  a  participant.  He  opened  his 
eyes  in  time  to  -see  a  young  woman — 
she  was  a  bride  of  two  days  when  she 
left  Wellington,  but  her  husband  had 
been  drowned  early  in  the  day — drop 
from  her  fastenings,  and,  striking  the 
lower  shrouds,  rebound  thence  into 
the  dark  waters.  The  boy  was  past 
weeping;  a  lump  rose  in  his  throat  as 
he  thought  of  the  poor  girl  and  the 
sweet  picture  she  made  when,  leaning 
on  her  husband's  arm,  she  proudly 
tripped  across  the  gangway  at  Well 
ington.  But  there  were  no  tears  to 
shed;  he  was  beyond  that.  He  could 
only  groan  as  he  felt  his  heartstrings 
vibrate,  and  he  dumbly  wondered  if 
they  would  snap  under  the  strain. 

Then  he  turned  his  eyes  shoreward, 
where  the  sparse  watchers  had  built 
huge  bonfires,  whose  bright  flames 
could  be  plainly  seen  from  the  rig 
ging.  Occasionally  a  weird  figure 
might  be  discerned  flitting  across  the 
beach  or  piling  more  wood  on  the 
blaze.  That  the  wreck  was  visible  to 
those  on  land  Paul  did  not  doubt,  for 
the  glare  from  the  fires  flashed  across 
the  ship  whenever  fresh  fuel  was  added. 


21 6    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

But  it  would  have  been  madness  to 
venture  out;  a  boat  had  no  chance 
for  existence  in  the  heavy  seas  that 
were  running,  even  if  it  escaped  the 
treacherous  surf.  Then,  too,  there 
were  the  rocks,  those  gaping,  jagged 
reefs  on  which  the  Koturah  had  re 
ceived  her  mortal  wound.  No,  there 
was  nothing  to  do  but  to  wait  for 
death  or  the  morning.  If  the  ship 
held  together  until  daylight  there  was 
still  a  hope  for  rescue  in  case  the 
seas  went  down.  But  the  chances 
were  slim.  The  boat  was  settling 
fast,  and  as  the  waves  mounted 
higher  and  still  higher  toward  the 
wretched  survivors  the  weaker  ones 
gradually  lost  all  power  of  resistance, 
and  parting  their  lashings  dropped 
into  the  watery  grave  which  greedily 
engulfed  them. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS. 

ANOTHER  painful  hour  passed,  dur 
ing  which  scarcely  a  word  was  spoken 
by  the  few  miserable  beings  that  re 
mained  alive.  The  wreck,  meantime, 
had  been  gradually  settling  until  the 
deck  was  entirely  under  water  and  the 
waves  repeatedly  dashed  over  the 
helpless  creatures  in  the  rigging. 
Suddenly  the  boat  gave  a  frightful 
lurch  which  lowered  her  fully  five  feet 
and  told  the  half  dozen  forlorn  souls 
hanging  on  for  their  lives  that  the 
end  was  very  near. 

Paul  knew  it  was  now  only  a  ques 
tion  of  minutes  when  the  entire  ship 
would  be  submerged.  Slipping  his 
lashings  and  tightening  the  cork  belt 
which  was  fastened  under  his  armpits, 
he  began  to  prepare  for  the  final 
struggle.  He  realized  there  was  little 
hope  in  such  a  sea  and  among  those 
death-dealing  rocks,  but  he  was  not 
217 


2l8    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

going  to  give  up  without  a  determined 
fight  for  his  life. 

Just  as  he  was  about  to  climb  still 
higher  to  avoid  the  drenching  seas 
an  immense  wave  struck  him  with 
terrific  force,  loosening  his  grip  and 
knocking  him  clean  off  his  perch  into 
the  foaming  billows.  Down,  down  he 
went,  meantime  holding  his  breath 
and  striving  hard  to  retain  his  senses. 
When  at  length  he  rose  to  the  surface 
he  kicked  out  vigorously,  but  had  not 
taken  a  dozen  strokes  when  his  head 
bumped  against  a  hard  substance,  and 
for  a  moment  the  boy  thought  he 
was  on  the  dreaded  rocks. 

But  instead  of  that  it  was  a  life 
saver  with  which  he  had  come  in 
contact,  in  the  shape  of  a  cumbrous 
but  apparently  watertight  sea  chest, 
which  was  tossing  idly  on  the  water, 
now  rising  to  the  crest  of  a  billow 
and  the  next  minute  lost  to  sight  in 
the  trough  of  the  sea.  A  rope  was 
knotted  about  its  center,  which  the 
"half-drowned  lad  gripped  with  the 
strength  of  despair;  and  although  the 
waves  carried  him  up  and  down, 
down  and  up,  as  if  he  were  so  much 


IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS  21Q 

driftwood,  they  did  not  loosen  his 
hold. 

Blinded  by  the  spray,  nearly  choked 
by  the  brine,  and  numbed  by  the  cold 
and  exposure  of  that  terrible  day  and 
night,  Paul  yet  refused  to  be  shaken 
off,  and  the  first  streak  of  dawn  dis 
covered  him  very  weak  and  almost 
exhausted,  but  still  clinging  to  his 
strange  life  preserver. 

As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  to 
distinguish  objects,  he  peered  eagerly 
around  for  a  glimpse  of  the  Koturah. 
But  the  wreck  was  nowhere  to  be 
seen  and  even  the  coastline  was  only 
a  thin,  hazy  streak  in  the  distance. 
When  Paul  was  knocked  off  the  rig 
ging  he  fell  on  that  side  of  the  ship 
facing  seaward,  so  instead  of  being 
presently  dashed  on  the  rocks  he  was 
carried  out  to  sea.  The  farther  he 
drifted  the  calmer  became  the  waves, 
which  were  now  so  quiet  that  he  had 
no  difficulty  in  retaining  his  perch  on 
the  empty  chest.  But  his  strength 
was  almost  gone,  and  unless  help  ar 
rived  very  soon  the  plucky  lad  felt 
he  could  never  survive  the  exposure 
of  another  night. 


220          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

Again  and  again  his  weary  eyes 
anxiously  scanned  the  ocean  for  the 
welcome  sight  of  a  sail.  Drifting  into 
a  comparatively  smooth  stretch  of 
water,  Paul  cautiously  stood  erect  on 
the  chest  and  from  the  higher  eleva 
tion  renewed  his  eager  search.  Afar 
off  on  the  horizon  a  white  speck 
caught  his  eye.  Kneeling  on  his  queer 
craft  for  better  security  he  watched 
the  speck  for  fifteen  minutes  and  saw 
it  gradually  but  surely  enlarge  on  his 
vision.  Then  he  knew  it  was  a  ship, 
and  by  the  progress  she  was  making 
he  felt  certain  her  course  lay  directly 
toward  him. 

For  two  hours  he  kept  his  eyes 
fixed  on  that  white  spot,  which  grew 
larger  and  larger  as  the  vessel  bowled 
along  under  a  favorable  breeze.  And 
yet  how  slowly  she  seemed  to  travel 
to  the  anxious  watcher!  At  times  he 
could  barely  restrain  himself  from 
quitting  his  faithful  chest  and  plung 
ing  headlong  to  meet  her.  Supposing 
she  should  miss  him  after  all!  Oh, 
how  his  heart  sunk  at  the  thought. 
Then  his  old  spirit  revived.  Tearing 
off  his  singlet  he  waved  it  aloft  and 


IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS          221 

shouted  again  and  again  until  his 
worn-out  vocal  chords  rebelled  and 
utterly  refused  to  do  further  duty. 

But  what  matter!  The  lookout  on 
the  ship  had  spied  him  and  in  a  de 
lirium  of  joy  Paul  realized  he  was 
saved.  With  wild,  staring  eyes  he 
watched  the  schooner  set  back  her 
sails,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  boat 
was  lowered  manned  by  four  stout 
sailors.  How  they  pulled!  The  boy 
shrieked  with  delight  as  they  flew 
across  the  water  to  where  he  knelt 
awaiting  their  approach. 

Then  everything  became  blurred. 
He  felt  a  strong  hand  grasp  him  and 
lift  him  into  the  boat  and  rough  but 
kindly  voices  ply  him  with  questions. 
But  he  was  past  all  answers.  His 
physical  powers,  so  long  taxed  beyond 
endurance,  suddenly  collapsed,  and  it 
was  a  dead  weight  which  the  sailors 
raised  to  the  deck  of  the  Southern 
Cross,  a  small  trading  schooner  bound 
for  Melbourne  with  a  cargo  of  sun 
dries. 

For  over  a  week  Paul  lay  in  the 
bunk  where  they  had  tenderly  carried 
him,  his  brain  on  fire,  his  mind  dwell- 


222          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

ing  constantly  on  the  horrors  of  the 
shipwreck.  Meantime  Captain  Wilson, 
the  kind-hearted  skipper,  gave  the 
lad  the  very  best  attention  in  his 
power,  a  rude  knowledge  of  medicine 
proving  of  no  slight  advantage  in 
effecting  a  double  rescue,  for  there 
were  times  when  it  seemed  to  be  just 
a  toss-up  for  his  life.  The  day  Port 
Philip  Heads  were  sighted  Paul  re 
gained  consciousness  and  learned  for 
the  first  time  the  name  of  the  vessel 
that  had  picked  him  up  and  her  des 
tination.  He  had  just  strength  enough 
to  thank  the  captain  for  his  kindness, 
and  then  he  fell  into  a  sound  sleep, 
which  lasted  twenty-four  hours.  When 
he  awoke  the  Southern  Cross  was  fast 
to  the  wharf  in  Sandridge  harbor. 

All  that  Paul  had  on  when  he  was 
rescued  was  a  pair  of  blue  serge 
trousers  and  a  gray  undershirt,  but 
the  thoughtful  kindness  of  the  skipper 
had  forestalled  the  lad's  necessities, 
so  that,  when  he  felt  strong  enough 
to  go  ashore,  a  neat  suit  of  clothes 
brought  down  from  Melbourne  lay  on 
a  chair  awaiting  his  occupation.  Be 
yond  telling  the  captain  his  name  and 


IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS          223 

that  he  was  a  survivor  of  the  Koturah, 
Paul  had  not  been  very  communica 
tive,  his  weak  condition  being  ample 
reason  for  withholding  details.  He 
had  neither  the  ambition  nor  the  heart 
in  his  enfeebled  state  to  dilate  upon 
the  sad  particulars,  yet  he  felt  it  his 
duty  to  tell  Captain  Wilson  all  he  knew, 
and  this  he  promised  to  do  in  the 
presence  of  the  company's  agents  at 
Melbourne. 

Before  quitting  the  ship,  however, 
he  outlined  the  story  of  the  wreck  to 
his  new  friend,  dwelling  particularly 
on  Captain  Barrett's  message  to  the 
owners,  which  he  was  so  anxious 
should  be  delivered.  "Poor  Barrett! 
Poor  Barrett!"  sighed  the  skipper 
when  he  heard  of  the  dead  man's 
last  request.  "He  meant  well  and 
he  stuck  to  his  ship  like  a  true  sailor, 
even  if  he  did  make  a  big  blunder. 
Oh,  what  a  pity  he  fooled  away  those 
precious  hours  in  trying  to  make  the 
shore. " 

Paul  was  too  weak  to  go  up  town 
that  day,  but  on  the  following  morn 
ing  he  thought  he  was  well  enough 
to  try  it.  A  small  sum  of  money 


224          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

had  been  raised  for  him  by  the  gen 
erous  sailors  and  as  he  was  anxious 
to  make  a  few  purchases  he  parted 
from  the  captain  near  the  steamship 
office  after  promising  to  be  back  inside 
of  an  hour.  There  were  queer  pains 
in  his  head  and  back  and  as  he  passed 
slowly  along  Bourke  street  he  almost 
wished  he  had  asked  the  captain  to 
accompany  him  on  his  shopping  ex 
pedition.  Whether  he  had  overtaxed 
his  strength  or  the  fever,  only  par 
tially  checked,  suddenly  reappeared, 
Paul  never  knew,  but  presently  his 
head  grew  dizzy,  the  buildings  began 
to  assume  strange  and  startling  shapes 
and  he  became  possessed  of  the  no 
tion  that  they  were  just  awaiting  a 
chance  to  topple  over  and  crush  him. 
To  escape  from  this  impending 
danger  was  his  chief  desire  and  out 
toward  the  open  highway  he  hurried, 
staggering  along  as  fast  as  his  weak 
limbs  would  carry  him.  Before  an 
iron-grated  door  let  into  a  stone  wall 
the  fever-stricken  lad  finally  dropped 
unconscious,  and  there  he  lay  unob 
served  for  nearly  an  hour,  with  a 
semi-tropical  sun  beating  down  on  his 


IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS          225 

head.  At  the  end  of  that  time  a 
smart  trap  rolled  up  and  stopped  and 
two  pleasant-featured  men  alighted. 

"Hello,  doctor?"  cried  the  older 
gentleman,  "what's  this?" 

The  surgeon  thus  addressed  stooped 
and  attentively  examined  the  prone 
figure  before  the  gate. 

"A  bad  case  of  typhoid,  I  should 
say,"  he  presently  replied  in  a  grave 
voice.  '  'Better  take  him  inside,  hadn't 
we?" 

"My  dear  fellow,"  retorted  the 
other,  "just  as  you  say.  It  isn't 
exactly  in  our  line,  but  common  hu 
manity  suggests  that  course,  I  should 
think." 

Then  they  pulled  the  bell  sharply 
and  a  servitor  in  livery  responding  he 
was  brusquely  ordered  to  convey 
Paul's  limp  figure  into  the  hospital 
ward  and  have  the  nurses  take  charge 
of  the  case  at  once. 

The  doctor  was  quite  right  in  his 
diagnosis.  It  was  a  dangerous  attack 
of  typhoid  fever  that  had  seized 
Paul  and  only  by  the  very  best  of 
treatment  was  he  able  to  pull  through. 
But  it  was  a  long,  tedious  illness  that 
15 


226         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

he  experienced  and  when  at  length  he 
was  able  to  crawl  about  in  the  sunny 
grounds  few  would  have  recognized  in 
his  pale  features  and  emaciated  figure 
the  former  sturdy  sailor  boy  of  the 
City  of  Sydney. 

Six  wearisome  weeks  had  elapsed 
since  the  good  doctor  had  found  Paul 
unconscious  at  the  hospital  gate.  At 
least  Paul  supposed  it  was  a  hospital 
so  long  as  he  remained  in  the  sick 
ward,  but  when  he  was  convalescent 
and  able  to  be  out  doors  he  learned 
the  real  nature  of  the  place  in  which 
he  had  found  shelter.  The  good 
Samaritan  who  had  tended  him  so 
assiduously  was  the  house  surgeon  in 
a  large  private  hospital  for  the  insane, 
and  it  was  to  the  gate  of  this  asylum 
that  Paul's  erratic  steps  had  carried 
him.  The  doctor  explained  all  this  to 
the  boy  the  day  before  he  gave  him 
permission  to  stroll  about  the  grounds. 

"You  will  probably  meet  some 
queer  characters  out  in  the  garden, 
my  lad,"  he  remarked  as  he  stroked 
his  long,  brown  beard,  while  a  quizzi 
cal  smile  lit  up  his  features,  "but 
don't  mind  them;  they  are  quite 


IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS          227 

harmless.  You  see,  this  is  a  home 
for  insane  people,  and  not  a  mere 
hospital,  as  you  supposed.  Don't  let 
that  disturb  you,  however.  In  two 
weeks  you  will  be  well  enough  to 
leave,  and  then  I  shall  lose  my  only 
sane  patient." 

"Yes,  doctor,  and  he'll  be  sorry 
enough  to  part  from  one  who  has 
been  so  good  to  him,"  returned  Paul 
fervently.  And  to  think  you  barely 
know  "my  name,"  he  added. 

"Oh,  yes  I  do,  you  are  number 
thirteen,  unlucky  thirteen,"  laughed 
the  surgeon.  "As  to  your  real  name, 
what  matter?  You  say  it  is  Paul 
Travers,  that  you  are  a  stranger  in 
the  colonies  and  an  American  by  birth. 
All  right,  when  I  go  over  to  your 
country  I'll  look  you  up  and  then  you 
can  show  me  how  ungrateful  you  can 
be,  eh?" 

' '  If  you'll  only  give  me  the  chance, " 
exclaimed  his  patient,  and  as  the 
doctor  smiled  good-naturedly  and  held 
out  his  hand  Paul  took  the  strong, 
white  fingers  in  his  own  weak  clasp. 
The  pressure,  gentle  though  it  was, 
told  the  physician  that  the  lad  was 


228     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

by  no  means  insensible  of  the  great 
debt  he  owed  to  his  preserver. 

One  week  in  the  beautiful  garden 
worked  wonders  in  Paul's  color  and  in 
putting  flesh  on  his  bones.  It  also 
brought  him  into  close  relations  with 
the  poor  demented  creatures  who 
roamed  in  that  earthly  paradise  with 
scarcely  any  appreciation  of  the  charms 
of  their  surroundings. 

Kings  and  princes,  dukes,  earls, 
lords,  judges,  generals  and  other  titled 
personages  innumerable  met  daily  in 
the  vine-covered  arbors  or  strolled 
aimlessly  along  the  graveled  walks, 
which  were  bordered  with  richly-hued 
flowers  and  luxuriant  tropical  plants. 
All  were  full  of  absurd  conceits  and 
whimsical  notions  that  would  have 
been  extremely  ludicrous  had  they 
not  been  so  pitiful.  Paul's  earliest 
acquaintance  was  a  benignant,  white- 
haired  old  gentleman  whose  peculiarity 
lay  in  fancying  himself  to  be  the  Al 
mighty.  He  was  ever  searching  for 
his  dear  and  only  son,  and  his  bland 
features  were  the  first  to  greet  the 
lad  when  he  entered  the  garden. 
Stepping  up  to  Paul,  in  a  soft-spoken 


IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS          22Q 

voice  he  inquired  with  the  greatest 
solicitude  if  his  dearly  beloved  had  at 
last  come  back  to  his  father. 

"Don't  enter  into  any  argument 
with  them,"  had  been  the  doctor's 
final  caution;  "it  only  irritates  the 
poor  wretches.  Just  smile  and  accede 
to  anything  and  everything."  So 
Paul  bowed  his  head  in  acknowledg 
ment  of  the  imposed  honor,  and  was 
passing  on  when  the  old  gentleman 
whispered:  "So  strange  that  you 
should  have  stayed  away  so  long.  I 
have  needed  you  sorely  at  times,  my 
son,  but  we  can  arrange  matters  for 
the  entire  universe  now."  Then  he 
went  over  to  a  rustic  bench  and  wrote 
industriously  on  a  paper  tablet,  mean 
time  keeping  faithful  watch  of  Paul's 
movements.  The  lad  soon  grew  tired 
and  made  his  way  back  to  the  wicket. 
Just  as  he  rang  the  bell,  the  old  fel 
low  sidled  up,  and  with  an  air  of 
great  mystery  slipped  a  folded  note 
into  Paul's  coat  pocket,  retiring  quickly 
with  his  finger  to  his  lip  as  an  at 
tendant  appeared. 

While  resting  on  a  lounge  in  the 
surgeon's  office  the  lad  brought  to 


230          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

light    the    scrap    of    paper.     On    the 
outside  was  scrawled: 

"God  is  love.  Staff  Sergeant  Wil 
liam  Topping,  God  Almighty,  Mel 
bourne."  Inside  was  inscribed  the 
following  queer  jumble: 

God  is  love  and  motherless.  Staff  Sergeant 
William  Topping,  God  Almighty.  Two  is 
company,  three  is  none.  Dear  brothers  and 
sisters,  be  kind,  be  kind  to  the  breath  of  life. 
Bless  the  queen  and  all  little  children.  I 
mend  clocks  and  watches,  hearts  and  souls 
and  breathe  life  into  the  new  born  babe.  I 
am  God  Almighty;  this  is  my  home.  There 
is  no  place  like  home,  where  the  birds  are 
singing  gaily  and  there  is  no  place  like  home. 
Do  not  fear  the  devil,  he  is  my  worst  enemy. 

Paul  could  not  help  laughing  over 
this  strange  hodge-podge,  and  yet  he 
felt  a  deep  sympathy  for  the  noble- 
looking  old  man,  who,  the  doctor  said, 
had  been  at  one  time  a  well-known 
Melbourne  merchant.  Five  years  be 
fore  his  wife  and  only  son  had  been 
wrecked  almost  in  sight  of  Port 
Philip  Heads  while  on  a  voyage  back 
from  England,  and  the  blow  had  been 
too  severe  for  his  brain,  already  over 
burdened  by  business  troubles.  He 


IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS          231 

went  hopelessly  crazy   and   had   been 
confined  in  the  asylum  ever  since. 

It  was  a  strange  world  in  which  to 
struggle  back  to  life  and  health,  and 
but  for  the  cheery  talks  with  his  good 
friend,  the  house  surgeon,  the  lad 
might  have  had  a  sorry  time  while  con 
valescing.  But  his  sense  of  humor  was 
nicely  poised  and  the  oddity  of  the 
situation  helped  him  through.  He 
cheerfully  lent  himself  to  every  new 
freak  that  seized  his  companions  and 
then  treasured  his  experience  to  recount 
to  the  doctor  at  their  next  meeting. 

Paul  had  made  such  progress  in  the 
good  graces  of  the  resident  surgeon 
that  the  two  became  quite  confidential, 
or  as  much  so  as  a  lad  of  seventeen 
could  expect  to  be  with  a  man  of 
forty.  Up  to  this  time  the  boy  had 
avoided  all  mention  of  the  wreck;  but 
one  evening,  shortly  before  the  day 
set  for  his  discharge,  Paul  told  his 
friend  the  story  of  the  loss  of  the 
Koturah  and  the  part  he  had  played 
in  that  awful  tragedy  of  the  sea. 

The  doctor  heard  the  lad  through 
without  comment,  although  an  intensely 
interested  listener.  Then  excusing 


232    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

himself  for  a  few  minutes  he  went  up 
to  his  private  room  and  presently  re 
turned  with  a  bundle  of  newspapers. 
Suspecting  from  the  doctor's  manner 
they  contained  a  reference  to  the 
wreck  and  possibly  to  himself,  Paul 
eagerly  took  the  proffered  package 
and  in  a  very  short  time  had  lighted 
upon  a  graphic  story  of  "The  Loss 
of  the  Koturah"  as  described  to  a 
representative  of  the  Melbourne  Argus 
by  Tom  Carey,  who,  it  will  be  re 
membered,  swam  through  the  surf  to 
shore  after  leaping  from  the  boat  sent 
out  in  charge  of  Mr.  Riley,  the  second 
officer. 

Carey  spoke  of  his  efforts  to  obtain 
relief  on  the  desolate  coast  and  his 
long  tramp  to  the  nearest  settlement, 
where  he  succeeded  in  inducing  half  a 
dozen  men  to  return  with  him  to  the 
beach,  where  they  were  utterly  power 
less  to  render  aid.  He  told  of  their 
finding  a  half-drowned  wretch  who 
had  escaped  from  the  first  officer's 
boat  when  the  blind  roller  tossed  the 
crew  into  the  treacherous  surf  and 
who  was  the  only  man  that  managed 
to  get  ashore  alive.  Their  long  vigil 


IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS          233 

on  the  beach  while  momentarily  ex 
pecting  the  vessel  to  go  to  pieces  was 
thrillingly  portrayed;  also  the  starting 
of  the  bonfires  and  of  the  flashlights 
thrown  upon  the  survivors  on  the 
wreck. 

It  was  almost  3  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  he  judged,  when  the  Koturah 
made  her  last  plunge  and  slipped 
backward  from  the  reef  under  the 
turbulent  waves,  which  at  daylight 
covered  every  vestige  of  the  wreck 
except  one  of  the  topmost  spars. 
Although  they  patrolled  the  shore 
constantly,  keeping  a  sharp  lookout 
for  possible  survivors,  no  one  managed 
to  struggle  through  alive,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  day  following  that  the 
bruised  and  swollen  bodies  of  the 
victims  were  washed  ashore. 

In  another  column  Paul  read  with  a 
feeling  of  deep  thankfulness  that  the 
second  officer,  with  his  crew,  had 
pulled  .out  to  sea  in  safety,  and  was 
picked  up  by  the  vessel  whose  futile 
efforts  to  reach  the  wreck  had  de 
stroyed  the  hopes  of  those  left  on 
board  the  Koturah.  The  captain's 
body  was  recovered,  that  of  the  sec- 


234          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

ond  engineer,  the  old  minister,  Paul's 
little  golden-haired  charge  and  a  num 
ber  of  others  whose  descriptions  he 
recognized,  including  that  of  his  poor 
chum,  Davy.  All  had  been  removed 
to  the  settlement,  twenty  miles  inland, 
and  given  decent  burial.  Out  of  a 
total  of  nearly  two  hundred  passengers 
and  crew,  Carey  and  the  survivor 
from  the  first  officer's  boat,  together 
with  Riley  and  his  crew,  were  all  that 
escaped — nine  out  of  two  hundred. 

Paul  let  the  papers  drop  to  the  floor 
and  buried  his  face  between  his  hands, 
too  overcome  to  read  further.  Mean 
time  the  doctor  sat  stolidly  puffing 
at  his  briarwood,  but  never  taking  his 
eyes  off  his  young  friend,  whose  con 
nection  with  the  wreck  he  had  shrewdly 
suspected  long  before  Paul  gave  him 
his  confidence.  Dr.  Tolman  had  de 
veloped  a  great  liking  for  the  lad, 
whom  he  had  snatched  from  the  very 
jaws  of  death,  and  since  his  discovery 
of  the  shocking  experience  through 
which  his  protege  had  passed  this 
feeling  was  greatly  intensified. 

Waiting  until  Paul's  fit  of  weeping 
had  worn  itself  out,  the  doctor  broke 


IN  GOOD  SAMARITANS'  HANDS          235 

the  rather  painful  silence  by  exclaim 
ing:  "Come,  come,  my  boy,  you 
must  chirk  up  a  bit  or  I  shall  have 
all  my  work  to  do  over  again.  We 
know  there  was  yet  another  saved, 
and  now  I  want  you  to  read  what  your 
friend,  Captain  Wilson,  says,  whom 
your  absence  has  so  greatly  mystified. " 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS. 

RAISING  his  head  quickly  the  lad 
gazed  with  swollen  eyes  at  the  doctor, 
who  held  in  his  hand  a  folded  paper 
which  Paul  had  not  noticed  before. 

' '  Good  gracious, "  he  exclaimed, 
"what  a  contemptible  fellow  he  must 
think  I  am  to  disappear  so  suddenly 
and  leave  no  trace  when  I  had  prom 
ised  faithfully  to  meet  him  at  the 
steamship  office.  And  after  his  great 
kindness  to  me,  too." 

"Now,  don't  worry  about  that," 
interrupted  the  doctor.  "I'll  write  to 
him  in  care  of  his  agents  and  explain 
matters  that  will  completely  reinstate 
you  in  his  estimation.  He  knew  you 
were  ill,  and,  like  a  sensible  man,  he 
probably  guessed  the  truth,  or  par 
tially  so,  at  least.  Of  course,  no  one 
would  think  of  looking  for  you  in  an 
insane  asylum.  But  take  this  and 
read  what  he  says." 
236 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS    237 

The  sheet  was  folded  so  that  the 
1 '  scare  "  lines  heading  the  story  caught 
Paul's  eyes  directly.  The  marine  re 
porter  evidently  felt  he  had  a  choice 
morsel,  and  reveled  in  the  recounting. 
It  ran  as  follows: 

' '  Captain  Wilson  of  the  Southern 
Cross,  just  in  from  New  Zealand 
ports  with  a  cargo  of  sundries,  is  re 
sponsible  for  a  queer  yarn  which 
might  be  open  to  some  doubt  were  it 
not  fully  corroborated  by  the  officers 
and  crew  of  his  vessel.  He  states ' 
that  a  week  ago  last  Saturday,  very 
early  in  the  morning,  while  standing 
direct  for  the  Bluff,  the  lookout  re 
ported  a  man  overboard  on  the  star 
board  bow  flying  a  signal  of  distress. 
A  boat  was  lowered  and  the  unfortu 
nate  fellow  brought  on  board  in  an 
unconscious  condition.  He  was  a 
youth  probably  not  much  over  seven 
teen,  about  five  feet  seven  inches  in 
height,  well  built,  with  dark  hair  and 
regular  features.  He  was  afloat  on  a 
seaman's  chest,  which,  being  water 
tight,  had  sustained  his  weight  and 
saved  his  life.  The  lad  was  delirious 
for  over  a  week  and  so  exhausted 


238         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

when  he  became  conscious  that  no  one 
attempted  to  question  him.  During 
his  ravings  the  captain  gathered  that 
the  boy  had  been  in  a  big  wreck, 
from  which  few  had  escaped.  When 
the  youth  was  able  to  talk  rationally 
he  told  of  the  loss  of  the  Koturah 
and  of  his  forced  exit  from  the  vessel 
just  before  she  made  her  last  plunge. 
He  was  reticent  about  giving  partic 
ulars,  and  in  fact  his  physical  condi 
tion  was  such  that  it  would  have  been 
cruel  to  compel  him  to  talk.  He 
promised,  however,  to  go  with  Captain 
Wilson  to  the  steamship  office  at 
Melbourne  and  give  a  detailed  account 
of  the  wreck  as  soon  as  he  was  able. 
"And  now  comes  the  queerest  part 
of  the  story.  Captain  Wilson  declares 
he  brought  the  rescued  lad — whose 
name,  by  the  way,  he  gave  as  Paul 
Fraser — up  from  Sandridge  to  Mel 
bourne.  At  Flinders  street  they  sep 
arated,  as  Paul  wished  to  make  a  few 
necessary  purchases,  but  it  was  with  • 
the  understanding  that  he  was  to  meet 
the  captain  in  an  hour  at  the  office  of 
the  agents  of  the  Koturah.  There 
Captain  Wilson  waited  the  better  part 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS    239 

of  the  day,  but  the  boy  failed  to  ap 
pear,  and  since  then  no  trace  of  him 
has  been  discovered.  As  he  was  still 
very  weak,  it  is  feared  that  he  may 
have  had  a  fresh  attack  of  fever,  and 
in  his  delirious  wanderings,  perhaps, 
fell  into  the  Yarra  and  was  drowned." 

This  ended  the  captain's  statement, 
but  the  Argus,  commenting  upon  it, 
added : 

"The  missing  lad  is  undoubtedly 
one  of  the  crew  of  the  ill-fated  Ko- 
turah,  and,  what  renders  Captain  Wil 
son's  story  doubly  interesting,  he  is 
certainly  the  only  survivor  of  those 
poor  unfortunates  who  remained  cling 
ing  to  the  rigging  until  the  ship  went 
down.  It  is  highly  important  the 
youth  should  be  found,  not  only  on 
account  of  the  additional  facts  he  can 
give,  which  would  be  eagerly  read  by 
the  relatives  of  the  deceased  passen 
gers,  as  well  as  the  general  public, 
but  also  because  he  would  prove  a 
valuable  witness  before  the  court  of 
inquiry  now  in  session." 

In  another  column  of  the  same  paper 
Paul  found  this  notice: 

"A  reward  of  £20  is  offered  by  the 


240    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

proprietors  of  the  Argus  to  the  sur 
vivor  of  the  Koturah  who  arrived  at 
this  port  with  Captain  Wilson,  on  con 
dition  that  he  make  a  full  and  complete 
statement  of  the  loss  of  the  vessel,  to 
be  printed  exclusively  in  this  journal. 
He  is  also  earnestly  requested  to  com 
municate  with  E.  O.  Barrett,  Ballarat, 
Victoria,  brother  of  the  deceased  cap 
tain." 

With  a  strange  thrill  at  his  heart 
Paul  turned  to  the  date  line  on  the 
first  page  of  the  newspaper.  It  was 
six  weeks  old. 

The  doctor  interpreted  this  action 
aright.  "Yes,  you  are  too  late  now, 
Paul,"  he  quietly  observed.  "The 
court  of  inquiry  has  long  since  ad 
journed,  and  I  expect  Captain  Wilson 
is  cruising  again  in  New  Zealand 
waters  by  this  time." 

"But  what  were  the  findings  of  the 
court  ?"  eagerly  inquired  the  lad.  ' '  Was 
the  captain  binned?" 

"Only  partially.  The  board,  after 
hearing  all  the  evidence,  censured  the 
second  mate,  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  deck  when  the  vessel  struck,  for 
neglecting  to  act  promptly  himself 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS         241 

when  the  lookout  reported  hearing  the 
breakers.  It  decided  that  Captain  Bar 
rett  erred  in  trying  to  effect  a  landing 
on  the  coast  instead  of  putting  out  to 
sea  in  the  small  boats  while  the  oppor 
tunity  existed.  But,  owing  to  his  pre 
vious  good  record,  no  harsh  criticism 
was  passed  on  his  action,  and  the 
board  contented  itself  with  simply 
charging  him  with  the  error  of  judg 
ment.  It  recommended,  however,  that 
a  lighthouse  be  built  on  the  hidden 
reef,  which  for  years  has  menaced  the 
shipping,  and  I  believe  the  authorities 
have  already  made  the  preliminary 
surveys  for  that  purpose." 

' '  And  how  long  is  it  since  the  board 
adjourned?" 

"A  little  over  a  month.  Several 
detectives  were  sent  out  to  seek  you, 
but  they  found  no  clew.  You  see, 
Captain  Wilson  got  a  cargo  for  Hobart 
Town  within  a  week,  and  nothing  was 
ever  said  about  the  mistake  in  your 
name.  The  Argus  printed  it  '  Eraser, ' 
as  you  noticed.  Perhaps  Wilson  for 
got  your  right  name,  or  maybe  it  was 
a  typographical  error — more  likely  the 
former,  since  no  correction  •  was  made. 

16 


242    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

When  I  first  read  the  story  I  sus 
pected  you  right  away,  but  a  lot  of 
good  you  would  have  done  before  a 
court  of  inquiry  with  your  temperature 
at  104°,  a  pulse  anywhere  from  140  to 
1 80,  and  a  brain  that  was  rambling  of 
Jimmy  -  hit  -  somebody  -  a  -  whack,  eye 
waters,  dog  watches,  circus  actors,  ship 
wrecks,  and  I  don't  know  what  all  be 
sides,  for  two  weeks  at  a  stretch.  I 
didn't  want  any  court  officials  pottering 
around  my  patients,  so  I  kept  still  and 
nobody  is  the  wiser." 

"It  was  just  like  you,  doctor,  and 
I'm  awfully  glad  that  I  didn't  have  to 
testify.  The  captain's  dead  and  gone, 
and  the  findings  of  the  court  of  in 
quiry  are  pretty  nearly  correct  any 
way.  But  I  mean  to  write  to  the 
owners  and  tell  them  how  nobly  the 
captain  stuck  to  the  vessel,  and  I'll 
drop  a  line  to  his  brother  at  Ballarat. 
By  the  way,  doctor,  I  suppose  a  let 
ter  to  Captain  Wilson  in  care  of  his 
agents  here  will  reach  him,  won't  it?" 

"Oh,  yes,  surely,  and  I'll  enclose 
one  with  yours,  as  I  agreed,  explain 
ing  your  illness  and  consequent  ina 
bility  to  keep  your  promise." 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS         243 

But  the  letters  were  not  written  for 
several  days.  With  the  pride  which 
every  Victorian  takes  in  the  magnifi 
cent  capital  of  the  colony,  Dr.  Tolman 
was  eager  to  show  Paul  the  beauties 
of  Melbourne.  He  bore  him  off  to 
the  pretty  suburbs  of  Sorrento, 
Brighton  Beach  and  St.  Kilda;  walked 
him  through  the  botanical  and  zoolog 
ical  gardens,  showed  him  the  hand 
some  parliament  buildings,  the  stately 
postoffice,  town  hall,  and  law  courts, 
and  then  whirled  him  away  to  Wil- 
liamstown  to  see  the  shipping.  In 
short,  he  pointed  out  every  feature  that 
he  thought  would  prove  interesting  to 
the  young  American,  whom  he  treated 
as  his  honored  guest. 

It  was  at  Williamstown  that  Dr. 
Tolman  ran  across  an  old  friend  who 
was  the  master  and  owner  of  a  small 
schooner  engaged  in  the  island  trade. 
Captain  Viti  was  a  half-breed  Fijian, 
whose  father,  an  Englishman,  had  in 
early  times  been  attached  to  the  Brit 
ish  embassy  at  Levuka.  In  a  joking 
way  the  skipper  invited  the  doctor 
and  his  young  friend  to  take  a 
trip  with  him  to  Levuka  and  back. 


244         PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

Of  course  Dr.  Tolman  laughingly  de 
clined,  but  while  returning  to  the 
asylum  he  suggested  to  Paul  that  a 
voyage  of  that  nature  was  just  the 
thing  needed  to  complete  a  perfect 
cure  and  he  urged  him  to  accept 
Captain  Viti's  offer. 

The  thought  of  a  visit  to  Fiji  was 
not  at  all  distasteful  to  Paul  just  then. 
Perhaps  a  notion  of  seeing  the  young 
English  miss  flitted  across  his  brain, 
but  if  so  he  never  confessed  to  it. 
The  more  they  discussed  the  voyage 
the  better  he  liked  the  idea,  and  next 
day  they  made  a  second  call  on  the 
hospitable  half-breed,  which  ended  in 
Paul's  accepting  the  invitation  without 
reservation. 

As  the  Polynesia  was  to  sail  in  two 
days  the  jaunts  of  the  doctor  and  his 
protege  were  abruptly  concluded,  for 
the  latter  had  to  attend  to  his  de 
ferred  correspondence  besides  laying 
in  a  supply  of  light  clothing  for  the 
trip.  These  necessary  articles  the 
doctor  insisted  on  furnishing  himself. 
Paul  still  had  the  little  purse  raised 
by  the  crew  of  the  Southern  Cross, 
but  he  knew  his  friend  would  be 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS         245 

vexed  if  he  declined  the  offer,  so  he 
wisely  kept  still  and  was  really  grate 
ful  for  the  generous  outfit  which  the 
doctor's  kindness  provided. 

"Now,  Paul,  remember,"  said  the 
good  surgeon,  as  they  stood  on  the 
deck  at  Williamstown  just  before  the 
Polynesia  cast  off  her  mooring  ropes, 
"if  you  don't  get  back  to  Melbourne 
write  me  whenever  you  feel  like  it, 
for  I  shall  always  be  glad  to  hear 
from  you.  Some  day,  perhaps,  I  may 
get  to  your  city  of  Chicago  over  there 
in  America;  but,  pshaw!  when  you 
are  editor  of  that  big  newspaper  you 
will  have  forgotten  all  about  your 
Australian  friends." 

"No,  doctor,  never,  never,"  pro 
tested  the  lad;  and  then  there  was  a 
last  squeeze  of  the  hand,  and  a  last 
reiterated  "good-bye"  as  the  skipper 
called  "all  aboard!  "and  Paul  had  parted 
from  another  of  the  many  good 
friends  made  on  that  eventful  trip. 

Captain  Viti  was  an  intelligent,  good- 
natured  half-breed,  who  proved  a  de 
lightful  companion  on  that  almost 
idyllic  voyage  to  Fiji.  Full  of  inter 
esting  legends  of  the  islands  inhabited 


246         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

by  his  mother's  people,  he  was  a 
most  entertaining  talker.  Hour  after 
hour  he  swung  idly  in  his  hammock, 
adjoining  Paul's,  pouring  tales  of  early 
missionary  days  into  the  youngster's 
ears  that  fairly  made  the  lad's  hair  curl. 
Having  lived  almost  entirely  among  the 
British  residents  at  Levuka  and  Suva  he 
spoke  excellent  English,  so  there  were 
no  drawbacks  to  the  thrilling  stories 
he  recited.  Under  an  awning  stretched 
above  their  hammocks  on  the  after- 
deck  the  two  passed  most  of  their 
time,  for  the  weather  was  perfect  and 
the  navigation  of  the  schooner  de 
manded  but  little  attention  from  its 
captain. 

A  hat  of  native  straw  presented  to 
him  by  Viti,  a  high-cut  jacket  of 
pongee  silk,  a  pair  of  loose  pajamas 
of  the  same  material,  and  light  yellow 
shoes  were  the  chief  features  of  Paul's 
airy  costume  at  this  period,  a  style  of 
dress  that  was  in  perfect  harmony 
with  the  tropical  climate  into  which 
they  were  sailing.  When  Viti's  stories 
flagged  Paul  drew  on  the  stock  of 
books  given  him  by  the  doctor,  and 
in  his  turn  contributed  to  the  enter- 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS         247 

tainment  by  reading  aloud  until  both 
fell  asleep  in  their  hammocks.  It  was 
the  quintessence  of  laziness,  this  life 
they  led,  so  that  by  the  time  Levuka 
was  reached  Paul's  figure  had  regained 
its  wonted  robustness,  and  the  lad 
was  every  whit  as  strong  as  before 
his  illness. 

There  was  one  disappointment  in 
store  for  him.  Viti  had  explained  to 
his  guest  that  the  English  embassy 
was  no  longer  quartered  at  Levuka, 
but  at  Suva,  on  a  neighboring  island, 
whither  the  seat  of  government  had 
been  transferred  by  Sir  Arthur  Gor 
don  some  time  previous.  The  major 
portion  of  the  Polynesia's  cargo  was 
intended  for  Levuka,  where  Viti 
owned  a  coffee  plantation,  an  inheri 
tance  from  his  father.  At  this  port  he 
expected  to  make  only  a  short  stay,  as 
he  was  anxious  to  get  back  to  Sydney 
with  a  load  of  coffee  beans  which  he 
hoped  to  sell  at  the  prevailing  high 
prices.  He  thought  he  would  remain 
a  week  on  shore  at  his  plantation, 
and  on  the  return  trip  he  planned  to 
touch  at  Suva,  where  he  told  Paul  he 


248    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

•  . 

might  possibly  have  a  chance  to  pay 
his  respects  to  the  little  English  miss. 

Entering  the  reef-bound  harbor  of 
Levuka  late  in  the  afternoon,  the 
schooner  dropped  her  anchor  close  to 
shore  and  within  a  cable's  length  of  a 
fringe  of  palms,  between  the  openings 
of  which  Paul  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  brown  roofs  of  the  native  huts, 
nestling  cozily  on  the  sides  of  the 
wooded  hills  which  formed  a  bold 
background  to  the  settlement.  It  was 
too  late  to  go  ashore  that  night,  but 
everybody  was  astir  early  next  morn 
ing,  and  after  spending  the  forenoon 
in  giving  instructions  to  his  agents 
regarding  the  disposition  of  his  cargo, 
Viti  was  ready  to  start  for  the  in 
terior. 

The  road  to  the  plantation  passed 
through  a  wonderfully  fertile  valley  in 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  where 
cocoanuts,  bananas  and  guava  fruit 
were  as  plentiful  as  the  palm  trees, 
which  everywhere  luxuriated.  Birds 
of  gayest  plumage  flitted  overhead 
and  eyed  the  travelers  curiously  as 
they  jogged  along  on  a  native  buck- 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS         249 

board  which  Viti   had   borrowed   from 
an  acquaintance  in  the  village. 

Everything  was  deliciously  novel  and 
attractive  to  the  young  American, 
whose  exclamations  of  delight  were 
the  source  of  much  quiet  amusement 
to  his  companion.  During  the  whole 
of  his  stay  on  the  plantation  Paul 
was  in  a  chronic  state  of  mental 
exhilaration.  Every  day  Viti  had 
something  new  and  startling  to  show 
the  lad,  who  never  tired  of  the  long 
tramps  and  excursions  planned  by 
the  energetic  captain,  in  whose  frame 
the  spirit  of  his  English  sire  largely 
prevailed. 

But  all  good  things  have  an  end 
ing,  and  so  the  order  to  return  to  the 
coast  came  one  morning,  as  Paul 
knew  it  inevitably  must.  As  souvenirs 
of  his  visit  he  carried  off  two  big 
war  clubs,  several  shell  necklaces,  two 
or  three  native  idols  and  fetiches  and 
a  few  other  trinkets  of  like  character, 
which  had  been  pressed  on  him  by 
the  good-natured  natives  living  on 
Viti's  plantation.  Loaded  with  his 
trophies,  he  stepped  on  board  the 
trim  little  Polynesia  with  a  happy 


25<J          PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

heart,  and  after  stowing  away  his 
plunder  spent  a  pleasant  evening 
ashore  with  an  English  missionary, 
who  had  sent  a  special  invitation  to 
come  and  drink  tea  at  his  cottage. 

Next  day  the  schooner  was  ready 
to  sail  away  with  her  coffee  and 
spices,  and  as  the  stalwart  natives 
stood  by  with  laughing  eyes  and 
glistening  teeth  to  wish  them  a  pleas 
ant  and  prosperous  voyage  Paul 
could  not  help  wondering  if  these  jolly- 
looking  islanders  ever  did  have  an 
undue  fondness  for  white  man — broiled. 
He  preferred  to  think  the  cannibalistic 
stories  were  all  myths. 

At  Suva,  to  his  intense  chagrin,  he 
learned  that  Miss  Edith  and  her 
mamma  were  away  in  the  interior  on 
a  visit,  which  fact  materially  detracted 
from  the  enjoyment  he  had  expected 
to  derive  during  the  few  hours  spent 
on  shore.  But  he  soon  forgot  his  dis 
appointment  when  back  on  the  Poly 
nesia,  for  the  weather  continued  per 
fect,  and  under  that  blue  sky  it  was 
impossible  to  remain  long  in  the 
dumps. 

The  run  back  to  Sydney  was  accom- 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        251 

plished  all  too  quickly,  and  when,  for 
the  second  time,  Paul  saw  on  either 
side  the  stately  heights  of  Port  Jack 
son  Heads  he  almost  regretted  that 
the  voyage  could  not  have  been  in 
definitely  prolonged. 

By  the  urgent  request  of  Captain  Viti 
he  continued  to  make  the  Polynesia 
his  headquarters  while  she  remained  in 
the  harbor.  Resisting  the  importuni 
ties  of  the  hospitable  half-breed  to 
take  a  run  over  to  Hobart  Town,  he 
waited  until  the  schooner  had  dis 
charged  her  cargo  and"  was  ready  to 
drop  down  the  bay.  Then  taking  a 
final  farewell  of  her  worthy  owner,  he 
stacked  his  belongings  in  a  cab  down 
on  the  circular  quay  and,  with  the 
audacity  of  a  youngster  having  ^"5  in 
his  pocket,  ordered  the  driver  to  take 
him  up  to  the  Royal  Hotel,  on  George 
street. 

Contrary  to  his  expectations  he  found 
no  mail  awaiting  him  this  time  at  the 
postoffice.  The  omission  caused  him 
to  remember  that  he  had  directed  his 
people  to  write  in  care  of  his  uncle  at 
Adelaide,  South  Australia,  a  visit  to 
whom  Paul  had  planned  when  in  New 


252    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

Zealand,  some  time  before  he  quitted 
the  circus.  One  of  his  first  acts  after 
arriving  in  Sydney  was  to  mail  a  long 
letter  to  Mr.  Wilder,  which  he  had 
written  on  board  the  Polynesia. 

In  this  letter  Paul  described  the 
voyage  to  Levuka,  his  experiences 
while  on  the  island,  and  the  visit  to 
Suva,  the  headquarters  of  the  British 
embassy.  He  told  his  story  in  a 
chatty,  colloquial  style,  enlivening  the 
pages  with  spirited  sketches  of  native 
characters,  and  ending  with  a  vivid 
description  of  £  war  dance  he  had  wit 
nessed  on  Viti's  plantation,  which  the 
Fijians  had  given  solely  for  his  enter 
tainment.  After  reading  the  letter 
over  very  carefully  the  lad  was  mod 
erately  certain  that  what  he  had  writ 
ten  deserved  to  be  designated  "good 
stuff, "  in  newspaper  parlance,  and  that 
it  would  find  favor  in  Mr.  Wilder's 
eyes  he  fervently  prayed. 

That  was  not  the  only  article  he 
sent,  either,  for  a  week  or  two  later 
he  met  with  some  rather  trying  per 
sonal  experiences  which  he  rightly 
concluded  would  prove  excellent  ma 
terial  for  an  amusing  Sunday  story  in 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS         253 

the  Mercury.  And  they  did,  too,  but 
it  was  many  months  before  Paul  was 
to  ascertain  that  fact. 

Living  on  the  fat  of  the  land  at  a 
high-priced  hotel  was  not  the  wisest 
policy  for  an  impecunious  stranger  in 
a  foreign  land  to  pursue.  A  week's 
diversion  brought  him  up  with  a  sharp 
turn,  but  before  that  occurred  he  had 
managed  to  make  a  number  of  excur 
sions  to  points  of  interest  contiguous 
to  Sydney.  A  trip  to  the  Heads  in 
the  steamer  Ly-ee-Moon  was  among 
his  pleasantest  memories.  Following 
that  his  fancy  led  him  up  the  Parra- 
matta  river  to  Pye's  Grove,  along  a 
stretch  of  water  famous  as  the  racing 
course  of  all  the  great  Australian  oar 
contests.  One  day  his  erratic  steps 
directed  him  to  Botany  Bay,  once  the 
dumping  ground  for  Britain's  convicts, 
but  now  a  popular  resort  for  the 
colonials,  who,  on  week  days  and 
Sundays,  enjoy  open-air  concerts  and 
light  refreshments  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  the  spot  where  Capt.  Cook 
landed  that  eventful  day  in  April, 
1770,  as  is  faithfully  recorded  on  a 
brass  tablet  there  affixed. 


254    PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

In  the  lovely  botanical  gardens  the 
lad  spent  many  enjoyable  hours.  The 
magnificent  specimens  of  flora  and  the 
still  rarer  collection  of  fauna  indigenous 
to  Australasia  possessed  powerful  at 
tractions  for  him,  so  that  he  never 
tired  of  the  green  parks,  beautiful 
shade  trees,  glorious  flowers,  and  in 
teresting  zoological  display,  which  com 
bined  charms  prove  equally  alluring  to 
thousands  of  colonials  who,  on  Sundays 
particularly,  roam  at  will  through  the 
grounds. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

RUSTLING    IN    THE    COLONIES. 

ON  one  of  these  rambling  days  of 
ease,  Paul  paid  a  visit  to  the  govern 
ment  dry  dock  at  Cockatoo  Island  in 
the  lower  bay.  Accompanied  by  a 
young  middy,  whose  acquaintance  he 
had  formed,  the  lad  pulled  over  to 
the  island,  where  the  vised  bit  of  paper 
presented  by  his  companion  proved  an 
open  sesame  to  the  entire  place. 

About  the  first  object  of  interest  to 
hold  his  attention  was  the  hull  of  the 
old  Alert  of  arctic  fame,  lying  high 
and  dry  on  the  stocks,  undergoing 
repairs,  preparatory  to  entering  the 
coast  survey  service.  A  queer  sensa 
tion  crept  over  the  boy  as  he  gazed 
on  this  historical  craft,  for  it  recalled 
an  episode  of  his  school  days  that  he 
had  almost  forgotten. 

It  was  the  same  Alert  which  the 
British  government  afterward  tendered 
the  United  States  for  use  in  the 
255 


256    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

Greeley  relief  expedition  under  Com 
modore  Schley,  and  whose,  stout 
wooden  ribs  had  been  subjected  to 
many  a  nip  in  the  icepack  in  the  Sir 
George  Nares  arctic  expedition  in  1875. 
There  was  the  least  tinge  of  excite 
ment  in  the  lad's  voice  as  he  pointed 
toward  her  and  remarked:  "I  was 
once  crazy  to  go  up  in  the  regions 
that  made  her  famous.  I  reckon  my 
tfones  might  have  been  picked  clean 
by  a  polar  bear  long  ago  if  it  hadn't 
been  for  the  unfortunate  captain  of 
the  Jeannette." 

"How  was  that?"  demanded  the 
middy. 

"Well,  it's  a  silly  story,  I  sup 
pose,"  laughed  Paul,  "but  I  was 
fairly  wild  to  join  Captain  De  Long's 
expedition  to  the  north  pole,  and  un 
known  to  my  people  wrote  several 
times  to  the  commander  begging  him 
to  give  me  a  berth  in  the  Jeannette. 
The  first  three  letters  I  sent  brought 
no  replies,  but  the  fourth  fetched 
him,  and  also  effectually  dwarfed  my 
ambition  for  arctic  voyaging.  Of 
course  there  was  no  good  reason  why 
I  should  encumber  the  expedition,  and 


RUSTLING  IN  THE  COLONIES          257 

that  is  the  way  Captain  De  Long 
viewed  the  matter.  I  remember  very 
distinctly  every  word  in  that  short, 
terse  letter  he  sent  me.  It  was  dated 
New  York,  April  i,  1879,  and  his 
address,  I  recollect,  was  150  West 
nth  street.  Here  is  what  it  said: 

PAUL  TRAVERS,  ESQ. — Sir:  Your  various 
letters  have  been  received.  In  reply  I  would 
state  that  I  have  room  in  the  Jeannette  for 
nobody  but  her  officers  and  crew.  These 
must  be  seamen  or  people  with  some  claim  to 
scientific  usefulness  and  unless  you  can  be 
classed  with  either  party  I  cannot  possibly 
take  you. 

"Was  that  all?" 

' '  No,  it  was  signed,  '  Very  respect 
fully,  George  W.  De  Long,  lieutenant, 
commanding  arctic  steamer  Jeannette. 

Paul's  friend  whistled  reflectively. 
"Pretty  chilly  note,  that,"  he  said. 
"Colder  than  Siberia  itself,  I  should 
say.  I  suppose  you  have  never 
bragged  much  of  your  correspondence, 
have  you?" 

' '  No-o,  not  for  a  good  while, "  ad 
mitted  the  lad,  ruefully.  "But  I 
kept  the  letter,  though,  and  when 
news  came  to  America  of  the  awful 
17 


258    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

disaster  that  overtook  the  Jeannette 
and  her  brave  commander  I  hunted 
it  up,  and  without  saying  a  word 
gave  it  to  my  father  to  read.  Of 
course  the  whole  story  had  to  be  told 
them,  and  there  was  great  rejoicing 
among  the  women  folks  over  what 
they  called  my  fortunate  escape." 

"  Never  thought  much  of  those  north 
pole  fanatics,"  exclaimed  the  ingenuous 
young  sailor.  "My  dad's  a  second 
cousin  or  something  of  Sir  John 
Franklin,  and  he's  always  praising  the 
old  chap  up  to  the  skies,  but  between 
you  and  me  I  think  Sir  John  was  a 
chump.  It's  only  another  form  of 
lunacy,  this  north  pole  pioneering. 
What's  to  be  gained  if  a  fellow  does 
discover  an  open  polar  sea?  'Twon't 
do  commerce  any  good,  will  it?  Or 
open  up  any  new  summer  resorts  and 
things  like  that?  Bah!  I've  no  use 
for  your  would-be  arctic  explorers, 
who  are  always  fitting  out  expeditions 
and  then  hanging  on  by  their  eye 
brows  up  yonder  in  the  frozen  regions 
waiting  for  a  rescuing  party  to  come 
along  and  carry  home  their  remains." 
After  which  forcible  but  frank  expres- 


RUSTLING  IN  THE  COLONIES           259 

sion  of  opinion  the  energetic  middy 
let  his  hand  fall  with  a  resounding 
thwack  on  Paul's  back,  which  brought 
that  idle  dreamer  up  "all  standing." 

Two  days  after  this  experience  the 
landlord  of  the  Royal  Hotel  sent  Paul 
a  polite  but  peremptory  note  and  a 
bill,  the  size  of  which  staggered  the 
young  American.  To  pay  it  would 
take  nearly  every  penny  he  had,  but, 
as  the  demand  was  imperative,  to 
settle  it  and  get  away  was  the  only 
honorable  course. 

That  night  he  rented  a  cot  bed  at 
a  cheap  hotel  in  a  most  unfashionable 
quarter  of  the  town,  and  next  morning 
started  out  in  earnest  to  "rustle  for  a 
grub  stake, "  as  he  eloquently  expressed 
it.  True  to  his  philosophy,  he  had 
played  the  elegant  gentleman  to  a 
finish  as  long  as  his  money  lasted, 
and  was  now  ready  to  try  the  other 
tack  for  a  while. 

It  wasn't  pleasant,  though,  to  find 
himself  with  empty  pockets  again,  and 
the  first  day  Paul  almost  repented 
the  prodigality  of  the  preceding  fort 
night.  But  the  sale  of  a  pair  of  cuff 
buttons  and  several  other  trinkets  fur- 


260         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

nished  him  enough  funds  to  keep  the 
wolf  off  for  two  or  three  days,  during 
which  time  he  assiduously  canvassed 
the  town  for  work.  Rebuffed  every 
where,  he  was  on  his-  way  down  Pitt 
street  the  third  morning  when  the 
sight  of  the  Sydney  Herald  building 
suggested  that  he  apply  inside  for  a 
position. 

Inquiring  for  the  managing  director, 
Paul  expressed  his  desire  for  employ 
ment  on  the  paper.  For  a  few  mo 
ments  the  lad  feared  the  great  news 
paper  man  would  have  an  apoplectic 
fit  when  he  finally  grasped  the  sense 
of  this  modest  request.  But  the  mag 
nate  rallied  and  in  a  pompous  tone 
informed  the  presumptuous  youth  that 
the  management  of  the  Herald  usually 
selected  its  staff  when  it  needed  re- 
enforcement  and  that  it  never  opened 
its  doors  to  impecunious  strangers. 
He  looked  so  shocked  when  he  made 
this  announcement  that  Paul  was  sure 
he  had  grieved  the  editor,  and  he 
humbly  apologized  for  the  intrusion. 
As  he  backed  out  he  politely  asked 
if  he  might  see  the  advertisements  in 
the  morning  paper.  The  great  man 


RUSTLING  IN  THE  COLONIES          261 

shot  a  withering  glance  over  his  glasses 
and  curtly  observed  that  the  adver 
tisements  could  be  found  posted  on 
the  bulletin  board  down  stairs. 

Paul  crawled  out  feeling  very  cheap 
and  insignificant  and  approached  the 
blackboard,  before  which  stood  a  num 
ber  of  fellows,  who,  like  himself,  were 
trying  to  get  track  of  work.  He  edged 
in  and  scanned  the  list  of  ' '  wants " 
carefully,  but  it  didn't  seem  to  be  a 
good  morning  for  likely  situations. 
There  were  several  appeals  for  market 
gardeners,  a  healthy  demand  for  ex 
perienced  coachmen,  one  or  two  re 
quests  for  London-bred  footmen  of 
fine  appearance,  and  a  solitary  invita 
tion  for  a  "pious  young  Protestant 
to  make  himself  useful  in  a  Christian 
family"  where  two  other  servants  were 
kept.  But  none  of  these  seemed  to 
be  full  of  promise.  The  only  one  that 
offered  any  encouraging  prospect  read 
as  follows: 

WANTED— A  YOUNG  MAN  OF  PLEASING 
address  and  some  business  tact  to  solicit  orders 
for  a  new  ink.  Call  at  97  Lower  George  street, 
before  n  o'clock. 

"Pleasing  address,"  reflected  Paul. 


262    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

"Well,  I  have  no  business  to  hail 
from  Chicago  if  I  can't  count  that  as 
one  of  my  accomplishments.  Don't 
know  about  the  business  tact;  guess 
I'll  have  to  risk  that." 

It  lacked  a  few  minutes  of  u,  but 
Lower  George  street  was  not  far  away, 
so  Paul  quickly  repaired  to  the  given 
number.  He  found  the  ink  manu 
facturer  at  work  in  a  dirty  back  room, 
whence  issued  a  most  villainous  smell. 
As  the  lad  entered  the  man  wiped  his 
deeply  stained  fingers  on  a  streaked 
apron  and  with  a  pronounced  cockney 
accent  asked  what  was  wanted. 

"I  have  called  in  answer  to  your 
advertisement  in  the  Herald  for  a 
young  man  to  solicit  orders  for  ink." 

"Ow!  I  si;  you  never  sowld  hink 
before,  naow,  'ave  you?" 

"No,  sir;  but  I've  used  lots  of  it, 
and  can  tell  a  good  brand  when  I 
see  it." 

"Think  of  that,  naow!  Well,  'ow 
d'ye  laike  this?"  And  he  shoved  a 
big  can  of  vile-smelling  liquid  under 
the  nose  of  his  visitor. 

With  rare  presence  of  mind  Paul 
forced  a  smile  and  assured  the  pro- 


RUSTLING  IN  THE  COLONIES          263 

prietor  it  seemed  to  be  the  right  stuff, 
and  hoped  it  was  the  ink  he  wanted 
sold.  This  subtle  flattery  had  its 
effect  and  after  some  further  parley 
Paul  was  taken  on  trial,  a  liberal  com 
mission  being  promised  on  all  sales  he 
should  make.  His  pockets  were  then 
filled  with  tiny  sample  bottles  of  the 
''Cologne  Kaiser-Tinte  Fluid,"  in  ad 
dition  to  which  homeopathic  doses  he 
was  given  a  bundle  of  printed  circulars 
exploiting  the  commercial  value  of  the 
famous  Kaiser-Tinte.  The  English 
man  next  directed  his  new  solicitor  to 
first  visit  all  the  colleges  and  private 
schools  in  the  city,  where  sample  bot 
tles  and  circulars  were  to  be  left  and 
orders  taken  whenever  possible. 

Just  before  receiving  his  final  in 
structions  Paul  suggested  that  an  ad 
vance  of  two  shillings  on  his  possible 
commissions  would  be  very  acceptable, 
owing  to  the  state  of  his  finances. 
The  cockney  demurred  and  at  first 
refused  point  blank,  but  on  Paul's 
assurance  that  he  would  put  in  a  hard 
day's  work  the  grimy  manufacturer 
relented  and  compromised  on  a  shil 
ling.  He  then  followed  the  lad  to  the 


264    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

door  and  urged  him  to  devote  all  his 
energy  to  pushing  the  Kaiser-Tinte. 

Paul  wore  the  light  suit  of  clothes 
which  Captain  Wilson  had  bought  for 
him  in  Melbourne.  He  felt  a  little 
nervous,  as  he  walked  gingerly  along 
George  street,  for  fear  of  breaking  the 
sample  bottles,  which  bulged  out  of 
his  pockets  and  flapped  against  his 
hips  with  each  step  he  took.  The 
day  was  warm  and  the  exercise 
unusual,  so  that  by  the  time  he  had 
called  at  a  dozen  schools  and  colleges 
without  obtaining  an  order  his  temper 
was  the  least  bit  ruffled.  The  colonial 
Australian  is  very  like  his  English 
first-cousin — not  particularly  affable 
toward  strangers  and  inclined  to 
haughtiness  and  arrogance  in  the 
treatment  of  his  social  inferiors. 

Paul's  feelings  were  severely  lacer 
ated  on  more  than  one  occasion  that 
day,  and  it  was  really  quite  pathetic 
to  see  him  meekly  retire  when  a 
supercilious  preceptor  sharply  requested 
him  to  "go  away  with  the  nawsty 
stuff  and  don't  bother." 

But  the  young  solicitor  followed  the 
instructions  of  his  principal  faithfully, 


RUSTLING  IN  THE  COLONIES          265 

and,  although  unsuccessful,  he  called 
on  all  the  saints  in  Sydney  in  regular 
rotation.  St.  Andrew's,  St.  James', 
St.  Leonard's,  St.  Luke's,  St.  Mark's, 
St.  Michael's  and  St.  Phillip's— all 
flouted  him  and  would  have  none  of 
his  wares.  Paul  was  in  despair;  he 
concluded  that  he  lacked  the  requisite 
"business  tact"  announced  in  the 
advertisement,  for  not  a  single  order 
could  he  secure.  Totally  discouraged, 
he  finally  introduced  himself  to  the 
"head  master"  of  a  college  on  Cas- 
tlereagh  street  and,  placing  two  or 
three  sample  bottles  on  his  desk, 
politely  handed  him  a  circular. 

The  pedagogue  eyed  Paul  suspi 
ciously,  and  picking  up  a  ruler  made  a 
lunge  at  the  lad's  knuckles,  fortunately 
missing  his  mark. 

"I  pelief  you  vas  a  sneak  tief!"  he 
exclaimed.  "I  vos  pin  loogin'  for 
you!  Uf  you  dond  ged  righd  oud  I 
gif  yu  in  sharge  uf  der  boliss.  Here, 
Zollomon,  pud  dis  fellow  oud!" 

Solomon  approached.  He  was  evi 
dently  the  servitor  of  the  institution; 
a  dull,  heavy-eyed  man,  with  big 
hands  and  large,  clumsy  feet.  He 


266    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

dropped  an  immense  paw  on  Paul's 
shoulder,  gave  him  a  rough  push, 
which  was  feebly  resented,  and  trotted 
his  prisoner  across  the  graveled  campus 
toward  the  outer  gates.  The  lad  was 
so  angry  he  could  have  killed  his 
captor  with  exquisite  satisfaction  to 
himself,  but  he  was  as  helpless  as  a 
child  in  the  grasp  of  such  a  Cerberus. 
As  they  neared  the  gate  a  scheme 
for  revenge  darted  through  Paul's 
brain,  which  ne  put  into  execution 
the  minute  he  was  released.  Just  as 
Solomon  gave  him  a  final  farewell 
push  the  lad  drew  the  cork  from  one 
of  his  sample  bottles,  and  let  his  tor 
mentor  have  a  dose  of  "Kaiser-Tinte" 
full  in  the  face.  Then  he  sprinted  up 
Castlereagh  street  as  hard  as  he  could 
run,  with  the  big  servitor  behind 
shouting  "Stop  tief"  at  the  top  of  his 
lungs. 

But  Solomon  was  not  built  for  rapid 
transit  and  he  was  soon  distanced. 
Slackening  his  speed  now  that  he  was 
safe  from  pursuit,  Paul  was  about  to 
turn  off  on  Pitt  street  when  his  foot 
tripped  on  the  uneven  curbing  and  he 
fell  heavily  on  the  stone  pavement. 


PEDDLING  "KAISER  TINTED 
IN  SYDNEY. 


RUSTLING  IN  THE  COLONIES          267 

Luckily,  no  bones  were  broken,  but, 
alas!  about  all  of  his  sample  bottles 
were,  and  as  the  dispirited  ink  solic 
itor  picked  himself  up  he  felt  several 
independent  streams  chasing  down  the 
inside  of  his  trousers,  while  numerous 
dark  stains  on  the  outside  told  'the 
harrowing  truth. 

His  light  suit  of  clothes  was  streaked 
with  dark-blue  stripes,  his  body  was 
badly  bruised,  and  his  spirits  were  so 
depressed  that  for  a  few  seconds  after 
he  pulled  himself  together  it  was  a 
toss-up  whether  he  wouldn't  boo-hoo 
right  out  in  the  public  street.  But  by 
swallowing  hard  he  kept  the  tears 
back,  and,  looking  like  an  animated 
war  map,  sought  the  ink  manufacturer 
and  resigned  his  commission.  Then 
came  the  crowning  injury.  The  man 
not  only  demanded  a  return  of  the 
shilling  he  had  advanced,  but  had  the 
temerity  to  want  pay  for  the  broken 
sample  bottles,  and  threatened  to 
hand  the  lad  over  to  the  police  if  he 
didn't  produce  the  money  instantly. 

As  Paul  had  spent  the  shilling  for 
dinner  this  was  an  impossibility.  "I 
haven't  a  cent  to  my  name,"  he 


268         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

exclaimed  with  some  heat,  "and  if  I 
had  you'd  have  to  take  it  out  of  my 
hide  before  I'd  pay  a  nickel.  The 
bottles  were  broken  accidentally  and 
the  shilling  I  have  earned  ten  times 
over." 

"Don't  give  me  h'any  of  your  sauce, 
boy,"  retorted  the  cockney.  "You're 
a  sharper  like  h'all  h'other  h'Ameri- 
cans.  Get  h'out  of  'ere!"  And  seiz 
ing  the  lad  by  the  shoulders  he 
roughly  pushed  him  through  the  door 
way  into  the  corridor,  whence  Paul 
found  the  street. 

A  bath  in  the  Parramatta  river  re 
moved  most  of  the  ink  stains,  but  no 
amount  of  soaking  would  take  the 
streaks  out  of  his  clothes.  He  was  a 
marked  youth. 

Hungry  and  disheartened,  Paul  re 
turned  to  his  lodgings,  only  to  find 
that  one  of  the  occupants  of  the  com 
mon  room  had  walked  off  with  his 
valise.  This  was  the  climax.  He 
hadn't  a  penny  to  pay  for  the  cot 
privilege  over  night,  nor  any  courage 
left  to  ask  for  credit.  As  he  hurried 
out  in  the  gathering  gloom  of  the 
streets,  after  a  long  but  vain  search 


RUSTLING  IN  THE  COLONIES          269 

for  the  lost  satchel,  a  few  salty  tears 
welled  up,  and,  though  he  brushed 
them  hastily  off,  a  fresh  supply  in 
sistently  appeared.  Dark  days  had 
fallen  on  the  young  traveler. 

His  bunk  that  night  was  on  the  soft 
side  of  a  bench  in  Cook  park,  on  his 
favorite  seat  under  the  statue  of  the 
great  circumnavigator.  At  4  o'clock 
the  next  morning  he  was  astir  to  avoid 
the  appearance  of  the  park  police, 
who  had  an  unpleasant  habit  of  run 
ning  in  all  vagrants  caught  napping 
at  that  hour.  Rinsing  his  face  and 
hands  in  the  artificial  lake,  Paul  util 
ized  his  one  lone  handkerchief  as  a 
towel  and  then  strolled  back  to  his 
seat  to  wait  for  sunrise.  While  dis 
consolately  kicking  the  gravel  and 
wondering  by  what  possible  means  he 
could  obtain  breakfast  a  young  fellow 
with  a  week's  old  beard,  who  lounged 
on  an  adjoining  bench,  accosted  him. 

"Hello,  son;  you  don't  look  happy 
this  morning!" 

"Not  very,"  returned  Paul,  who 
recognized  one  of  his  own  country 
men  by  the  speaker's  accent.  ' '  I'm 
broke." 


270          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

"Is  that  all?"  was  the  half  scornful 
rejoinder.  "Why,  I've  been  broke 
many  a  time;  that's  what  proves  a 
man.  It's  no  trick  to  get  along  when 
you  have  money  in  your  pockets;  any 
fool  can  spend  money." 

"Yes;  I've  discovered  that.  But  it 
isn't  a  bad  thing  to  have  when  a  fel 
low's  hungry.  Where  are  you  from?" 

"'Frisco,  last.  Folks  live  up  in 
Michigan — place  called  Grand  Rapids; 
mebbe  you've  heard  of  it." 

"Oh,  yes;  that's  where  they  make 
furniture,  isn't  it?" 

"You  bet!  Any  amount  of  it.  Used 
to  work  in  a  chair  factory  myself,  but 
I  hated  the  steady  grind  and  took  to 
the  road;  been  driftin'  around  for 
three  years,  and  am  mighty  tired  of 
it,  too." 

"Then  why  not  go  back?" 

"I  mean  to,  soon  's  I  make  a  stake; 
hate  to  go  there  without  a  sou  after 
knockin'  about  for  three  years.  Where 
do  you  call  home?" 

"Chicago!" 

"Windy  City,  eh?  That's  a  burg 
I'm  stuck  on.  If  I  ever  get  back  to 
the  states,  you'll  see  me  headed  for 


RUSTLING  IN  THE  COLONIES           271 

that  town,  sure.  It's  a  Jim  Dandy 
place  for  a  young  fellow,  'cordin'  to 
my  notion.  But  say,  let's  mosey  along 
and  get  some  breakfast.  I've  got  just 
a  shillin'  left  and  we'll  blow  it  in  for 
two  square  meals.  Come  on,  Chicago." 

Paul's  new  companion  answered  to 
the  name  of  Jim.  He  was  a  cheery 
sort  of  a  fatalist,  with  a  droll  manner 
of  speech  that  was  not  without  its 
charms.  Among  other  of  his  many 
accomplishments  he  could  imitate  bird 
calls  very  cleverly  by  means  of  a  little 
tin  contrivance  dubbed  a  bird  whistle, 
which  is  placed  on  the  tip  of  the  tongue 
whsn  in  action. 

Jim  had  a  notion  he  could  manu 
facture  these  whistles  in  quantities  so 
they  could  be  sold  to  the  colonials  in 
the  Saturday  night  market  place.  The 
project  did  not  appear  at  all  feasible 
to  Paul  when  it  was  first  broached, 
for,  as  he  observed,  "how  could 
they  get  the  necessary  materials  when 
neither  had  a  cent  of  capital?" 

But  Jim  was* a  young  man  of  won 
derful  resources.  After  he  had  decided 
the  scheme  was  worth  trying,  he  in 
structed  his  companion  to  visit  the 


272    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

various  shoemakers  and  harness  shops 
in  town  and  beg  scraps  of  leather 
while  he  made  a  tour  of  the  alleys 
collecting  discarded  tin  cans.  Both 
were  fairly  successful  and  loaded  with 
their  spoils  the  two  adventurers  met 
at  noon  at  the  rendezvous  by  Capt. 
Cook's  statue,  where  Jim  at  once 
began  operations. 

He  was  a  genius.  With  the  aid  of 
a  jack-knife  and  the  slight  assistance 
Paul  could  render,  thirty  "illigant  bird 
whistles,"  as  Jim  termed  them,  were 
ready  for  possible  customers  when 
the  chimes  sounded  6  o'clock.  The 
artisans  were  by  this  time  both  tired 
and  hungry,  but  their  Saturday  night 
supper  as  well  as  their  Sunday  dinner 
depended  on  their  success  at  the 
market.  With  such  an  incentive  the 
embryo  merchants  were  not  long  in 
reaching  the  inclosure  where  Cheap 
Johns  of  every  description  reveled. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

EXPERIENCES    IN    THE    ANTIPODES. 

THE  Saturday  night  market  is  one 
of  the  institutions  of  Sydney.  It  is 
held  in  an  inclosed  square  at  the 
lower  end  of  Pitt  street,  and  by  pay 
ing  a  small  entrance  fee  the  petty 
merchant  is  entitled  to  exhibit  and 
sell  his  wares.  It  is  the  poor  man's 
paradise,  where  anything  in  the  house 
hold  line  may  be  purchased,  and 
where  the  good  wife  may  do  her 
week's  marketing  at  a  minimum  cost. 
It  is  also  a  popular  resort  for  the 
colonial  'Arry  and  his  best  girl,  who 
flock  there  in  great  numbers  to  patron 
ize  the  side-shows,  round-abouts, 
Aunt  Sallys,  quack  doctors,  lemonade 
peddlers,  oyster  stands,  and  electric- 
try-your-nerve-machines.  This  kalei 
doscopic  scene  is  thrown  into  high 
relief  by  means  of  numerous  oil 
lamps,  whose  odor  is  not  of  the 
pleasantest,  but  which,  to  the  habitual 

*73 


274    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

patron,  is  one  of  the  charms  of  the 
market. 

Arrived  at  the  gate,  the  entrance 
fee  of  "thruppence,"  or  six  cents,  was 
obtained  by  a  quick  sale  outside  to  a 
willing  victim,  who  was  easily  cap 
tured  by  Jim's  artistic  exhibition  of 
the  possibilities  of  a  bird  whistle.  An 
empty  box  had  been  picked  up  on 
the  way,  and  once  inside  the  grounds 
a  good  site  was  soon  selected  in  the 
vicinity  of  a  popular  quack  doctor. 
Here  Jim  mounted  the  box  and  by 
his  beautiful  delineations  quickly  at 
tracted  a  crowd.  While  he  warbled 
Paul  extolled  the  whistles  and  ex 
plained  what  a  delightful  accomplish 
ment  was  within  the  reach  of  anybody 
who  had  a  spare  '  'thruppenny-bit"  to 
invest.  Each  did  his  part  so  well 
that  in  an  hour  the  stock  was  exhausted, 
and  after  dividing  the  receipts  the 
partners  found  they  could  indulge  in 
two  meals  a  day,  at  least,  for  the 
ensuing  week. 

It  seemed  good  to  crawl  into  a 
sure-enough  bed  once  more,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  bells  were  chiming 
for  church  next  morning  that  Paul 


EXPERIENCES  IN  THE  ANTIPODES     275 

awoke.  A  day  of  complete  rest  with 
out  the  disturbing  problem  of  meals 
to  worry  him  prepared  the  lad  for  a 
week  of  steady  work,  every  day  of 
which  was  devoted  to  the  new  industry 
of  manufacturing  bird  whistles.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  say  that  the 
skilled  labor  was  furnished  by  Jim, 
while  Paul  rustled  for  material,  in 
which  line  he  was  highly  successful. 

By  the  Saturday  following  the 
partners  had  finished  nearly  a  gross 
of  whistles  which  they  planned  to 
unload  on  the  colonials.  An  ingenious 
circular  written  by  Paul  and  printed 
on  sixteenth  -  sheets  purported  to 
explain  succinctly  how  to  imitate  the 
various  bird-calls,  and  one  of  these 
was  wrapped  around  every  whistle. 
With  the  opening  of  the  gates  the 
expectant  pair  marched  in  and  quickly 
drew  a  gaping  crowd.  Paul  had 
rehearsed  a  very  effective  lecture 
explanatory  of  the  various  calls  imi 
tated,  the  pauses  being  filled  by  Jim, 
who  demonstrated  the  correctness  of 
his  partner's  statements,  in  an  entirely 
satisfactory  manner.  It  was  during 
these  rests,  so  to  speak,  that  Paul 


276    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

drove  a  brisk  trade,  the  lecture  and 
trilling  being  repeated  as  often  as  the 
crowd  changed  or  business  waned. 

By  closing  time  every  whistle  was 
sold.  Intoxicated  with  their  success, 
and  loaded  with  small  silver,  the 
young  merchants  repaired  to  their 
lodgings,  where  the  receipts  of  the 
evening  were  promptly  counted  and 
divided.  It  was  a  hard  grind  to  work 
the  second  week  at  whistle  -  making. 
Each  had  too  much  money  in  his 
possession  to  be  very  industrious,  so 
that  by  the  next  market  night  the 
stock  on  hand  was  rather  limited. 
To  this  day  Paul  is  not  certain 
whether  by  the  most  assiduous  prac 
tice  anyone  could  learn  to  blow  the 
whistles  they  made.  True,  Jim  was 
an  expert,  which  was  an  argument  in 
their  favor,  but  then  Jim  did  many 
things  which  no  one  else  could  suc 
cessfully  imitate. 

It  would  seem  that  the  colonials 
who  were  patronizing  the  young 
Americans  had  reached  the  conclusion 
that  the  bird-calls  were  rank  frauds 
and  that  they  had  been  basely  im 
posed  upon.  At  least  this  is  what 


EXPERIENCES  IN  THE  ANTIPODES      277 

the  partners  supposed  when  they 
stopped  running  and  could  safely  sum 
up  the  situation. 

They  had  been  ignominiously  driven 
out  of  Eden.  Paul  had  scarcely 
started  his  fascinating  lecture  when  a 
dozen  sturdy  youths  rushed  for  their 
stand,  knocking  it  over  and  pummel- 
ing  the  unlucky  venders  in  a  shame 
ful  manner.  It  was  no  time  to  show 
fight;  the  odds  were  too  great,  and, 
quickly  realizing  that  discretion  was 
better  than  valor,  both  lads  made  a 
bee  line  for  the  nearest  fence,  with  the 
howling  colonials  in  hot  pursuit.  It 
was  a  pretty  piece  of  sprinting,  but  the 
pursued  reached  the  boards  first  and 
over  the  top  each  vaulted  in  beautiful 
style,  while  a  cry  of  rage  issued  from 
the  throats  of  the  disappointed  Brit 
ishers,  who  loudly  demanded  their 
'  'thruppences"  back  because  the  '  'beast 
ly  things  wouldn't  blow,  ye  know!" 

"Blow!"  remarked  Jim,  later  on, 
when  they  discussed  this  extraordinary 
procedure,  "of  course  they  wouldn't. 
It's  a  trick  of  the  tongue,  just  as  you 
explained  to  'em.  But  that's  the  in 
gratitude  of  the  world.  Try  to  teach 


278          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

'em  something  new,  and  the  people 
turn  and  snarl  at  a  fellow.  Ah,  well, 
this  snap  couldn't  last  forever,  I  sup 
pose,"  and  with  a  philosophical  shrug 
Jim  purled  out  the  light  of  the  tallow 
dip  and  plunged  into  bed. 

Three  days  after  this  experience  the 
reports  of  new  gold  diggings  "up 
country"  inoculated  the  pair  with  the 
mining  fever,  and  in  half  an  hour  the 
two  had  decided  to  pool  their  capital, 
buy  an  outfit,  and  set  out  at  once  for 
the  gold  fields  of  which  all  Sydney 
was  talking. 

Their  "prospector's  kit"  was  not 
very  elaborate,  for  provisions  had  to 
be  included,  and  Jim  insisted  on  re 
serving  a  small  fund  of  ready  cash  for 
possible  emergencies.  A  journey  by 
stage  coach  was  not  to  be  considered 
on  account  of  the  extortionate  fare 
demanded,  so  they  determined  to  fol 
low  the  trail  afoot.  As  both  lads  were 
in  prime  condition,  physically,  this 
was  not  a  very  arduous  undertaking, 
and  until  they  reached  the  glaring, 
sandy  stretches  of  country  100  miles 
north  of  Sydney  each  thoroughly  en 
joyed  the  novel  experience  of  traveling 


EXPERIENCES  IN  THE  ANTIPODES      279 

through  the  bush.  With  one-third  the 
distance  covered  in  less  than  a  week 
they  felicitated  themselves  on  their 
progress,  when  an  unforeseen  disaster 
occurred  which  upset  all  their  plans. 

Jim  was  stricken  with  the  sand 
blight. 

For  two  days  following  their  advent 
into  the  sandy  desert  the  older  lad  had 
complained  of  a  pain  in  his  eyes,  suc 
ceeded  by  a  puffing  up  of  the  inflamed 
cuticle,  which  gradually  increased  until 
two  small  slits  were  all  that  remained 
to  mark  the  location  of  his  eyes.  The 
itching  was  intolerable,  and  with  a 
scant  water  supply  the  poor  fellow 
endured  great  torture.  By  the  third 
day  Jim's  sufferings  were  so  severe 
that  Paul  became  seriously  alarmed. 
With  his  comrade  totally  blind  and 
little  hope  of  immediate  recovery,  it 
was  useless  to  think  of  continuing  the 
journey;  to  get  back  to  Sydney  and 
put  Jim  in  the  hospital  for  treatment 
was  clearly  the  only  wise  course,  and 
this  Paul  determined  to  pursue. 

He  was  lucky  enough  to  sell  their 
kit,  at  a  great  sacrifice,  to  an  outgo 
ing  party  that  camped  near  by,  and 


280    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

the  sum  thus  obtained,  added  to  their 
own  reserve  fund,  procured  two  seats 
in  the  stage  coach  to  Sydney,  the 
return  fare  being  much  more  reason 
able.  Poor  Jim  suffered  agonies  dur 
ing  the  two  days  and  a  half  consumed 
in  making  the  trip.  All  that  Paul 
could  do  to  alleviate  the  pain  in  any 
degree  was  to  apply  cold  cloths,  but 
the  water  he  carried  in  a  bottle  soon 
became  tepid,  which  destroyed  the 
efficacy  of  the  bandages,  so  despite 
constant  applications  Jim  experienced 
little  relief. 

But  he  endured  the  torture  like  a 
stoic,  and  even  found  courage  to  rally 
Paul  on  his  depression,  telling  him 
that  a  true  philosopher  was  the  fellow 
who  could  apply  his  pet  theories  to 
his  own  misfortunes  and  then  extract 
consolation.  "Anybody  can  be  a  phi 
losopher,"  he  observed,  "when  the 
world  treats  him  well,  when  his  pockets 
are  lined  with  cash,  his  health  is  good 
and  three  meals  are  coming  regularly. 
It's  when  a  chap's  down  on  his  luck, 
friends  have  deserted  him,  and  the 
prospects  for  improving  his  condition 
are  awfully  slim  that  he  has  a  good 


IN  THE  AUSTRALIAN 
GOLD  FIELDS. 


EXPERIENCES  IN  THE  ANTIPODES     281 

chance  to  show  his  nerve,  or,  if  you 
like  that  better,  his  philosophy." 

"Did  you  ever  read  'Martin  Chuz- 
zlewit,'  Jim?"  inquired  Paul,  after  one 
of  these  talks. 

"No;  Dickens  wrote  it,  didn't  he? 
Never  read  much  of  Dickens  'cept 
'Pickwick.'  I  rather  cottoned  to  Sam 
Weller;  bright  duck  he  was.  Why?" 

"Oh,  nothing;  you  reminded  me 
of  a  character  in  the  story;  that's  all; 
fellow  named  Mark  Tapley. " 

"What  about  him?" 

"Well,  he  was  a  philosopher  in  his 
way,  too.  A  cheerful  sort  of  philoso 
phy  his  was.  Whenever  things  looked 
darkest  and  the  prospect  was  partic 
ularly  gloomy,  Mark  grew  correspond 
ingly  jolly.  The  blacker  the  cloud, 
the  more  cheerful  he  became;  nice 
sort  of  a  fellow  to  travel  with,  he 
must  have  been." 

"And  I  remind  you  of  him,  do  I?" 
mused  Jim,  as  a  sharp  twinge  caused 
his  features  to  suddenly  contract. 
"Well,  I  reckon  it's  a  heap  sight 
healthier  to  grin  than  to  groan,  and 
I'll  keep  on  grinning  just  as  long  as  I 
can  stand  the  racket.' 


282    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

The  opportunity  of  studying  a  first- 
class  case  of  sand  blight,  as  the  doc 
tors  called  Jim's  attack,  was  too  good 
to  miss,  and  the  sufferer  was  promptly 
admitted  when  Paul  took  him  to  the 
hospital  for  examination  immediately 
on  their  arrival  in  Sydney.  As  it 
would  be  many  weeks,  they  said, 
before  he  could  be  cured,  Paul  was 
obliged  to  part  company  with  his 
friend.  For  the  first  time  since  his 
illness  Jim  displayed  signs  of  weakness 
when  the  lad  came  to  the  edge  of 
the  cot  to  say  good-bye. 

"I'd  made  up  my  mind  to  see  you 
safe  home  to  Chicago,  young  fellow," 
groaned  the  invalid,  "and  now  the 
doctor  says  I'll  be  lucky  if  I  get 
away  from  here  in  three  months. 
Hopeful  outlook,  isn't  it?"  Then  with 
a  return  of  his  old  spirit  he  added: 
"Never  mind,  son;  I'll  be  back  there 
almost  as  soon  as  you  are;  see  if  I'm 
not.  I'm  not  at  all  sure  but  I'll  be 
at  the  head  of  the  brass  band  to 
welcome  you  into  town,  so  get  a 
move  on  yourself,  boy." 

The  cheap  hotel  where  Paul  engaged 
a  bed  was  patronized  pretty  freely  by 


EXPERIENCES  IN  THE  ANTIPODES     283 

the  humbler  followers  of  the  Australian 
Jockey  Club,  the  majority  of  whom 
were  touters,  riders  and  bookmakers' 
clerks.  With  one  of  the  latter — a 
decent  enough  young  fellow — Paul 
became  acquainted,  and  through  him 
was  introduced  to  a  bookmaker,  who 
hired  the  lad  to  keep  his  accounts. 
The  work  was  fairly  easy  and  the 
pay  good,  but  in  the  thirty  days  he 
remained  out  at  the  course  the  young 
ster  saw  just  enough  of  the  inside 
workings  of  a  racing  association  to 
arouse  anything  but  a  high  opinion  of 
the  turf.  With  the  close  of  the  sea 
son  at  Randwick  he  respectfully 
declined  a  proposition  from  his  em 
ployer  to  make  the  circuit  with  him, 
and,  drawing  his  wages,  which  were 
materially  increased  by  a  handsome 
present  from  the  successful  bookmaker, 
Paul  abruptly  ended  this  phase  of  his 
career. 

A  short  time  previous  he  had  found 
a  hotel  on  Castlereagh  street,  kept  by 
an  American,  where  he  rented  a 
modest  room.  The  house  was  quite 
popular  with  theatrical  people,  and 
among  others  with  whom  Paul  came 


284    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

in  contact  was  a  dapper  little  French 
man  named  Henri  L'Estrange,  an 
aeronaut  of  some  skill  and  undoubted 
courage.  L'Estrange  was  under  con 
tract  to  make  a  balloon  ascension 
from  the  public  domain  on  the  queen's 
birthday,  which  is  always  a  popular 
holiday  with  the  loyal  colonials.  His 
acquaintance  with  the  professor  opened 
up  a  new  field  of  adventure  for  Paul. 
In  Colorado  he  had  been  many  hun 
dred  feet  underground,  on  shipboard 
he  had  climbed  as  high  as  the  top 
mast  crosstrees  permitted,  but  a  sail 
in  the  air  was  an  altogether  novel  ex 
perience  which  he  eagerly  craved. 

Assiduous  cultivation  of  the  little 
Frenchman  soon  won  from  the  aeronaut 
a  promise  to  take  Paul  along  as  his 
assistant  on  the  day  of  the  fete,  and 
until  that  time  arrived  the  two  were 
inseparable.  Behind  canvas  walls, 
on  the  common  contiguous  to  the  bo 
tanical  gardens,  the  ''Empress  of 
Night"  was  moored.  For  several  days 
prior  to  the  ascension  L'Estrange  and 
his  new  assistant  spent  many  hours 
splicing  ropes,  tightening  valves,  sew 
ing  sand  bags,  painting  the  car,  and 


EXPERIENCES  IN  THE  ANTIPODES     285 

otherwise  preparing  the  balloon  for  its 
aerial  voyage.  Arrangements  were 
made  to  inflate  the  bag  from  the 
nearest  gas  main,  and  on  the  morn 
ing  of  May  24  all  was  in  readiness  to 
make  the  attachment.  The  balloon 
was  advertised  to  ascend  at  3  p.m., 
and  fully  an  hour  before  that  time 
the  public  domain  and  streets  adjacent 
were  black  with  a  holiday-making 
crowd. 

But  the  Frenchman  was  not  happy; 
the  gas  was  bad,  and  the  balloon 
showed  no  disposition  to  soar.  "Ah, 
ciel!"  exclaimed  the  little  man  in  de 
spair.  "Zees  gaas  ees  vair  poor. 
Eet  ees  not  suffissien  buoy-ant;  ze 
qualite  ees  execrable!" 

For  several  hours  the  professor  and 
his  assistant  had  attempted  to  inflate 
the  balloon  to  a  satisfactory  pitch.  At 
3  o'clock  the  big  bag  swayed  in  the  air 
like  a  drunken  man,  its  dropsical 
folds,  which  refused  to  fill  out,  remind 
ing  Paul  of  a  huge  pair  of  misfit 
Turkish  trousers.  Driven  almost  crazy 
by  the  demands  of  the  mob,  which, 
unlike  an  American  crowd,  was  dis 
posed  to  wax  wrathy  at  the  delay, 


286          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

the  Frenchman  jumped  on  a  box,  and, 
in  his  broken  English,  explained  that 
he  was  quite  ready  and  willing 
to  fill  his  part  of  the  contract,  but 
was  unexpectedly  confronted  with  so 
inferior  a  quality  of  gas  that  it  threat 
ened  to  defeat  the  exhibition  entirely. 

An  hour  later  the  incessant  chaffing 
of  the  spectators  so  worried  the 
aeronaut  that,  against  his  better  judg 
ment,  he  determined  to  cut  loose  and 
make  the  ascension.  Motioning  Paul 
into  the  car,  he  sprung  lightly  over 
the  side  and  instructed  the  park  attend 
ants  to  slip  the  main  cable. 

The  Empress  of  Night  rose  slosvly 
to  the  height  of  about  fifty  feet,  and 
then,  deliberately  sulking  in  the  air, 
refused  to  soar  an  inch  more.  "Ah! 
tees  as  I  expected,"  murmured  the 
professor,  and,  pulling  the  escape 
valve,  the  balloon  descended  amid 
the  jeers  of  the  colonials,  whose  quips 
at  his  expense  nearly  drove  the 
Frenchman  frantic.  Excited  and  angry, 
he  ordered  Paul  to  jump  out  and  in  a 
few  moments  had  detached  the  car 
from  the  rope  network  above.  Then, 
with  a  graceful  bow  to  the  impatient 


EXPERIENCES  IN  THE  ANTIPODES      287 

spectators,  the  daring  aeronaut  jumped 
into  the  netting  of  the  balloon,  mo 
tioned  the  men  to  let  go  and  in  a 
minute  had  shot  high  above  the  heads 
of  the  now  breathless  colonials. 

Another  minute  the  crowd  remained 
silent,  then  arose  a  burst  of  cheering 
which  was  as  spontaneous  as  it  was 
heartfelt,  for  everyone  recognized  the 
intrepidity  of  the  act.  In  response  to 
this  recognition,  from  his  perilous  perch 
above,  L/Estrange  was  seen  to  wave 
his  cap  three  times  before  he  passed 
beyond  the  direct  vision  of  the  excited 
watchers,  who  speculated  freely  on 
his  chances  for  descending  in  safety. 

Drifting  south,  the  balloon  lost  its 
buoyancy  and  fell  rapidly.  Over  Pitt 
street  the  bag  swayed  unpleasantly 
close  to  a  stack  of  chimneys,  rose 
and  dropped  again  in  erratic  plunges, 
then  took  a  sudden  dash  over  George 
street,  bumping  viciously  against  a 
hotel  building,  where,  -by  chance,  a 
woman  stood  at  an  open  window 
holding  a  lighted  candle.  In  a  second 
the  escaping  gas  had  ignited,  an 
explosion  followed,  and  poor  L'Es- 
trange  was  thrown  on  the  glass  roof 


288    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

of  the  court  below,  where  he  was 
picked  up  a  few  minutes  later  with  a 
broken  leg  and  arm,  several  fractured 
ribs  and  some  severe  burns  as  a 
memento  of  his  brave  but  foolhardy 
experiment.  As  for  Paul,  this  brief 
experience  was  quite  enough  to  dampen 
his  ardor  for  aeronautics,  but  the  little 
Frenchman  only  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
when  someone  asked  him  if  he 
would  ever  make  another  ascension, 
as  he  answered:  "To-morrow,  to-day, 
eef  I  vas  able  to  pull  ze  r-rope!" 

A  few  days  later  Paul  was  pleased 
to  receive  a  letter  bearing  the  Adelaide 
postmark,  which  proved  to  be  from 
his  mother's  brother,  who  for  thirty 
years  had  been  a  resident  of  South 
Australia.  In  it  the  merchant  cordially 
invited  the  nephew  he  had  never  seen 
to  visit  his  Australian  relatives,  and 
ended  by  delicately  hinting  that  if 
Paul  was  short  of  funds  he  might 
draw  on  him  for  needful  supplies. 

Fortunately,  the  lad  was  not  obliged 
to  act  on  his  uncle's  suggestion.  He 
still  had  a  fair  sum  left  from  his 
earnings,  and  this  he  intended  should 
cover  all  the  expenses  of  his  visit. 


EXPERIENCES  IN  THE  ANTIPODES      289 

Thanking  his  uncle  for  the  kind 
invitation,  he  wrote  that  he  would 
follow  the  letter  in  a  day  or  two  at 
the  farthest.  As  soon  as  L'Estrange 
was  pronounced  out  of  danger  Paul 
secured  a  berth  on  the  steamer 
Ly-ee-Moon  for  Melbourne,  which  port 
he  reached  just  in  time  to  transfer 
his  baggage  to  the  little  Aldinga, 
bound  for  Adelaide.  Disappointed  of 
a  call  on  Dr.  Tolman,  he  consoled 
himself  with  the  thought  of  a  visit  on 
his  return,  and,  pleasantly  musing 
over  the  probable  appearance  of  his 
new  cousins,  fell  asleep  in  his  narrow 
berth. 

A  bluff,  jolly  looking  man  of  fifty, 
with  a  heavy  beard  and  kindly  eyes, 
and  a  mild,  sweet  little  woman,  with 
a  pale,  intellectual  face,  were  the  two 
hasty  silhouettes  Paul  caught  of  his 
uncle  and  aunt  at  dusk,  as  they  wel 
comed  him  to  their  hearts  and 
home.  Two  boys,  about  his  own  age, 
and  five  pretty  girls,  ranging  from 
fourteen  to  twenty-four,  comprised  the 
junior  portion  of  the  family,  with  whom 
Paul  was  soon  on  the  best  of  terms. 

Five  charming  girls!     All  so  sweet- 


2QO    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

tempered  and  affectionate,  and  quite 
ready  to  do  anything  to  please  their 
American  cousin!  What  a  delightful 
prospect  for  the  lad  who  for  so  long 
had  encountered  chill  looks  and  brusque 
words.  Cricket  with  the  boys,  croquet 
and  lawn  tennis  with  the  girls,  varied 
with  parties,  picnics  and  excursions 
galore.  A  week  at  Glenelg,  the  New 
port  of  South  Australia,  proved  an 
idyllic  experience,  of  which  bathing, 
fishing  and  boating  formed  the  princi 
pal  features.  Yachting  parties  were 
extemporized  in  the  lad's  honor,  in 
which  his  fair  cousins  and  their  friends 
vied  with  one  another  to  make  each 
occasion  more  enjoyable  than  the  pre 
ceding. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  among 
so  many  nice  people  Paul  discreetly 
kept  his  rougher  experiences  in  the 
background,  yet  he  did  not  attempt 
to  deny  that  he  was  traveling  around 
the  world  on  a  very  slim  purse. 
What  money  he  had  he  spent  freely, 
although  there  was  little  that  he  could 
pay  for  in  that  generous  crowd.  Six 
weeks  of  this  existence  almost  spoiled 
the  young  man  for  further  campaign- 


EXPERIENCES  IN  THE  ANTIPODES      2QI 

ing,  and  it  was  only  when  his  rapidly 
diminishing  stock  of  cash  warned  him 
that  he  had  barely  enough  to  carry 
him  back  to  Sydney  that  he  resolutely 
broke  away  from  his  pleasant  sur 
roundings. 

All  seemed  loath  to  have  him  go, 
for  blood  ties  are  strong  the  world 
over,  and  Paul  was  the  only  relative 
that  had  ever  visited  them.  There 
were  many  tears  shed  by  his  fair 
cousins,  a  warm  grasp  from  his  uncle 
and  the  boys  and  a  fervent  good-bye 
kiss  from  his  aunt  when  Paul  stepped 
aboard  the  steamer  City  of  Adelaide 
at  the  port.  Through  moist  eyes  he 
watched  for  the  last  flutter  of  hand 
kerchiefs  and  for  the  final  handwave 
from  the  warm-hearted  Australians 
who  had  done  so  much  to  make  his 
visit  among  them  supremely  happy 
and  enjoyable.  Then,  with  a  big 
lump  in  his  throat,  he  went  below. 
It  was  time  to  drop  the  role  of  gen 
tleman  and  resume  that  of  a  tramp 
again. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

FAREWELL    TO    AUSTRALIA. 

DR.  TOLMAN  greeted  the  young 
American  very  cordially  when,  unan 
nounced,  Paul  walked  into  the  phy 
sician's  private  office  at  the  hospital. 

"Why,  my  dear  boy,"  he  exclaimed, 
"I  had  about  given  up  all  hope  of 
seeing  you  again.  I  have  had  just 
one  letter  since  you  went  away.  Ah, 
you  youngsters  are  so  fickle;  the 
friend  of  a  week  ago  is  forgotten  in 
the  friend  of  to-day.  But  I'm  glad 
to  see  you  looking  so  well;  sit  down 
and  give  an  account  of  yourself  since 
we  parted." 

For  an  hour  Paul  entertained  the 
doctor  with  the  story  of  his  trip  to 
Fiji;  his  days  of  ease  and  his  days  of 
hardship  at  Sydney;  the  ink-peddling 
incident,  bird-whistle  transactions,  gold- 
mining  episode,  jockey-club  experience, 
his  attempt  at  balloon  voyaging,  and 
last,  but  not  least,  his  delightful  visit 
292 


FAREWELL  TO  AUSTRALIA  293 

among  the  charming  South  Australian 
cousins. 

The  doctor  was  highly  amused  at 
the  graphic  description  Paul  gave  of 
his  efforts  to  introduce  "Kaiser-Tinte" 
in  the  collegiate  circles  of  Sydney, 
and  he  fairly  roared  over  the  manner 
in  which  the  lad  avenged  his  insults 
on  Solomon  the  servitor.  Referring 
to  the  bird-whistle  episode,  he  laugh 
ingly  declared  the  partners  deserved 
the  drubbing  administered  by  the 
young  colonials,  whereat  Paul  waxed 
indignant  and  protested  it  was  an 
honest  transaction,  in  which  the  Syd- 
neyites  were  worsted  only  because 
they  did  not  prove  apt  pupils. 

"Oh,  that  was  it,"  observed  the 
doctor,  dryly;  "well,  of  course,  you 
couldn't  expect  them  to  be  as  smart 
as  two  Yankees." 

The  succeeding  week,  which  Paul 
passed  with  his  friend,  was  devoted 
to  rambles  through  the  botanical  gar 
dens  and  in  delightful  excursions  to 
the  many  charming  suburbs  for  which 
Melbourne  is  noted.  One  day,  toward 
the  close  of  his  visit,  as  the  two  sat 
on  the  bench  at  St.  Kilda  idly  watch- 


294          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

ing  the  bathers,  the  doctor  suddenly 
asked  Paul  if  he  had  any  definite 
plans  for  getting  back  home. 

"Yes  and  no,"  answered  the  lad. 
"I  have  a  hope  of  getting  a  berth  on 
one  of  the  Orient  steamers  at  Sydney 
which  will  carry  me  through  to  Lon 
don,  but  whether  I  succeed  is  doubt 
ful.  Judging  from  past  experiences, 
it  isn't  an  easy  matter,  but  having 
come  so  far  'right  side  up,'  I'm  not 
going  to  borrow  trouble  at  this  late 
day.  After  I  reach  London,  I'll  trust 
to  luck  to  get  to  New  York;  that 
looks  simple  enough  compared  with 
the  problem  that  confronts  me  just 
now. " 

The  doctor  chuckled  softly.  ' '  You're 
a  queer  boy,  Paul.  Here  you  are, 
twelve  thousand  miles  from  home,  with 
barely  enough  money  to  pay  your  fare 
to  Sydney,  and  yet  you  are  as  free  from 
care  as  my  dog.  I  confess  I  am  en 
vious  of  so  tranquil  a  disposition." 

"Well,  what's  the  good  of  fretting?" 
returned  the  lad.  ' '  I  entered  into  this 
state  deliberately  and  of  my  own  free 
will  and  accord,  as  the  lawyers  say;  I 
should  be  an  idiot  to  whine  over  hard- 


FAREWELL  TO  AUSTRALIA  295 

ships  and  trials  for  which  I  alone  am 
responsible.  No,  sir;  when  I  get  to 
my  troubled  bridges  I'll  cross  them, 
but  no  worrying  in  advance  if  I  can 
help  it." 

"Right  you  are,  Paul;  that's  good, 
sound  philosophy,  and  I  hope  you  will 
live  up  to  it.  After  all,  the  more  ex 
periences  you  get  the  better  qualified 
you  will  be  for  the  profession  you  are 
ambitious  to  enter.  Let  me  see,  how 
long  is  it  since  you  left  home?" 

' '  Ten  months — ten  years,  I  had  al 
most  said.  So  much  has  happened  in 
that  time  I  can  scarcely  realize  a  year 
has  not  yet  parsed.  I  went  away  from 
Chicago  a  boy — perhaps  more  matured 
than  the  average  lad  of  seventeen,  for 
I  had  been  an  omnivorous  reader,  but 
the  one  that  goes  back  to  the  bustling 
city  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan 
will  be  immeasurably  older.  It  isn't 
the  number  of  years  one  lives,"  he 
added  pensively,  "but  the  manner  in 
which  one  lives  them  that  makes  the 
man.  I  hope  I  shall  have  nothing  to 
regret  in  the  future  when  I  look  back 
on  this  eventful  tramp." 

"You  won't,   my  lad;    you  won't,  if 


296         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

you  keep  yourself  pure,  mentally  and 
morally,"  was  the  doctor's  earnest  re 
joinder,  "and  I  believe  you  have  too 
much  good  sense  to  stray  far  off  the 
right  track." 

The  older  man  parted  from  Paul 
with  genuine  regret.  He  had  taken  a 
great  fancy  to  the  sturdy  American 
lad  whose  acquaintance  he  had  so 
strangely  formed.  As  he  said  his  last 
good-bye  down  at  the  dock,  just  as 
the  bell  warned  all  visitors  ashore, 
there  was  a  tremor  in  his  voice  which 
indicated  the  depth  of  his  feelings. 
"Some  day  we  shall  meet  again,  my 
boy,  so  I  won't  say  'farewell,'  but  'auf 
weidersehen, '  as  the  Germans  so  beau 
tifully  express  it."  Then  he  slipped  a 
sealed  note  into  Paul's  hand,  and,  has 
tily  crossing  the  gangway,  disappeared 
in  the  crowd. 

In  his  cabin,  after  tea,  Paul  opened 
the  letter  which  Dr.  Tolman  had  so 
hurriedly  given  him  at  parting.  It  con 
tained  a  brief  message  and  a  bank 
note  to  the  value  of  ^5.  The  lines 
read: 

DEAR  PAUL — Don't  refuse  the  little  gift  I 
enclose,  as  it  is  merely  a  token  of  my  regard 


FAREWELL  TO  AUSTRALIA  297 

for  a  brave  young  traveler  who  has  fully  demon 
strated  his  ability  to  get  along  without  money. 
But  it  will  make  me  feel  easier  to  know  you 
are  not  penniless  when  you  get  to  Sydney,  so 
I  entreat  you  to  keep  it.  With  deepest  affec 
tion  and  wishing  you  a  safe  return  to  Chicago, 
I  am,  sincerely  your  friend, 

HENRY  BERTRAM  TOLMAN. 

One  of  the  uses  to  which  Paul  put 
the  money  on  his  arrival  at  Sydney 
was  to  buy  a  watch  charm  of  the 
famous  New  Zealand  greenstone,  on 
the  gold  mounting  of  which  he  had 
engraved  "Paul  to  H.  B.  T.  Fidel- 
iter."  This  he  sent,  with  his  best  love, 
to  his  good  friend,  together  with  a  long 
letter,  expressing  his  deep  appreciation 
of  the  many  kindnesses  he  had  re 
ceived  and  which  he  assured  the  doctor 
he  could  never  forget. 

As  he  had  divined,  getting  a  berth 
on  a  London-bound  steamer  was  by 
no  means  an  easy  job.  For  several 
weeks  Paul  haunted  the  circular  quay, 
alongside  which  the  colossal  ocean 
steamers  unload  their  cargoes,  but, 
although  he  boarded  many  and  assidu 
ously  cultivated  the  acquaintance  of 
the  understewards,  he  could  find  no 
opening.  One  after  another  he  saw 


298    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

the  big  liners  discharge  their  passen 
gers  and  freight,  fill  up  again  and 
slowly  steam  out  into  the  bay,  bound 
for  the  port  he  so  earnestly  desired 
to  reach. 

By  carefully  hoarding  the  money 
which  the  doctor  had  so  generously 
given  him,  he  was  able  to  live  in  a 
fairly  comfortable  way  during  this  dis 
heartening  period,  but  as  the  weeks 
slipped  by  his  funds  grew  lamentably 
smaller.  It  was  his  custom  every 
morning  to  scan  the  bulletin  board 
in  front  of  the  Herald  building,  in  the 
hope  of  finding  a  situation  which  might 
tide  him  over  until  his  prospects  bright 
ened.  Running  his  eyes  down  the 
"lost  and  found"  column  one  day, 
when  he  had  been  nearly  a  month  in 
Sydney,  he  saw  an  advertisement  for 
a  lost  key  of  peculiar  shape,  which  the 
finder 'was  requested  to  bring  to  the 
manager  of  the  Queensland  Bank  and 
receive  a  reward. 

It  suddenly  occurred  to  Paul  that 
he  had  that  same  key  in  his  vest 
pocket.  The  night  before,  while  stand 
ing  in  front  of  the  Royal  Theater,  he 
had  seen  it  glistening  on  the  pave- 


FAREWELL  TO  AUSTRALIA  299 

ment,  and,  picking  it  up,  had  stowed 
it  away  in  his  clothes  after  a  cursory 
glance  at  its  curious  shape. 

He  now  took  it  out  and  compared 
it  with  the  description.  Yes,  there 
were  the  numbers,  121307,  stamped  in 
the  steel,  corresponding  exactly  with 
those  advertised.  Clearly  the  key  be 
longed  to  the  manager  of  the  Queens 
land  Bank,  and  in  search  of  that 
official  Paul  at  once  bent  his  steps. 

"You  can't  see  the  manager;  he's 
engaged,"  was  the  somewhat  curt 
answer  which  a  tall  young  man,  wear 
ing  a  huge  choker  collar,  made  to 
Paul's  polite  request. 

"Then  I'll  wait  till  he's  disengaged," 
was  the  lad's  cheerful  response, 
plumping  down  into  a  bench  placed 
for  the  convenience  of  bank  patrons. 

The  owner  of  the  collar  made  a 
sneering  remark,  the  purport  of  which 
Paul  did  not  catch,  and  resumed  his 
work  of  adding  a  column  of  figures, 
the  interruption  of  which  had  ruffled 
his  temper. 

Half  an  hour  elapsed  without  the 
sign  of  a  caller  emerging  from  the 
manager's  room.  Paul  began  to  sus- 


300    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

pect  the  surly  clerk  of  tampering  with 
the  truth.  "Are  you  sure  the  mana 
ger's  engaged?"  he  suddenly  ventured. 

"That's  what  I  said,"  was  the  snap 
pish  reply,  "and  you'll  have  to  wait." 

A  few  minutes  later  one  of  the  em 
ployes  went  in  to  see  the  manager, 
leaving  the  door  at  such  an  angle 
that  Paul's  eyes  could  rove  over  the 
entire  room.  The  manager  was  alone, 
save  for  the  presence  of  the  clerk. 

The  lad's  ire  was  aroused.  He  was 
justly  incensed  at  the  uncivil  treatment 
accorded  him  by  the  ill-bred  clerk, 
and  he  fairly  ached  to  punch  the 
fellow's  head. 

Raising  his  voice  a  trifle  and  ad 
dressing  the  unmannerly  youth,  he 
exclaimed,  "Excuse  me,  sir,  but  will 
you  ask  the  manager  to  give  me  five 
minutes  of  his  time?  I  want  to  see 
him  on  a  matter  of  business." 

Paul  noticed  the  gray  head  perk  up 
a  bit  in  the  inside  room  as  the  sound 
seeped  through,  and  presently  a  brusque 
"Mr.  Peters!"  floated  outward. 

The  proprietor  of  the  tall  collar  un 
wound  his  long  legs  from  the  stool 


FAREWELL  TO  AUSTRALIA  30 1 

and,   with  a   black   look   at  Paul,  dis 
appeared  in  the  private  room. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  emerged,  still 
wearing  a  scowl,  and,  walking  over  to 
Paul,  jerked  out,  "he'll  see  you  now." 

"Oh,  thank  you,"  returned  the  lad 
with  one  of  his  blandest  looks;  "sorry 
to  have  put  you  to  so  much  trouble." 

He  wasted  no  time  in  stating  his 
business  when  he  stood  before  the 
manager.  "I  saw  your  advertisement 
about  a  lost  key,"  he  began.  "I 
found  it  last  night  in  front  of  the 
Royal  Theater.  This  is  the  article,  I 
believe,"  and  he  placed  the  key  on 
the  banker's  desk. 

The  manager  picked  it  up,  saw  the 
number  was  correct,  and  said:  "This 
is  certainly  the  key  I  lost.  Permit 
me  to  pay  you  for  your  trouble." 

"It  was  no  trouble  at  all,  sir,  and 
you  don't  owe  me  a  cent,"  was  the 
respectful  but  emphatic  reply.  "I 
found  the  key  by  the  merest  chance, 
and,  noticing  your  advertisement  this 
morning,  brought  it  over  at  once,  be 
cause  I  had  nothing  else  to  do.  I 
am  glad  to  have  obliged  you,  but  it 
really  isn't  worth  talking  about." 


302    PAUL  TKAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

The  banker  smiled.  "You  are  an 
American,  aren't  you?"  he  pleasantly 
asked. 

"Yes,   sir;  from  Chicago." 

"A  great  city  and  a  great  country," 
he  observed.  "If  you  won't  let  me 
pay  you  for  the  key,  at  least  tell  me 
if  there  is  anything  I  can  do  for  you 
while  you  are  in  Sydney." 

One  of  his  happy  inspirations  seized 
Paul.  "If  you  would  be  kind  enough 
to  give  me  a  letter  to  the  agents  of 
the  Orient  Steamship  Company  I 
would  be  greatly  obliged,"  he  said. 
"I  don't  mind  telling  you  that  I  have 
been  trying  for  some  time  to  get  em 
ployment  on  one  of  their  homeward- 
bound  boats,  but  I  don't  receive  any 
encouragement.  A  good  word  to  the 
agents  would  be  a  great  help,  I  am 
sure. " 

"I'll  give  you  the  letter  with  pleas 
ure.  I  happen  to  know  the  gentle 
men  intimately.  Let  me  have  your 
name,  please." 

"Paul  Travers,   sir." 

"Just  be  seated  a  few  minutes,  Mr. 
Travers,  and  you  shall  have  what 
you  want."  Then  he  rang  a  bell  and 


FAREWELL  TO  AUSTRALIA  303 

a  stenographer  appeared,  to  whom  the 
banker  dictated  a  short  letter,  over 
hearing  which  Paul  mentally  decided 
his  vexations  and  disappointments  were 
nearing  an  end. 

' '  I  gather  you  are  trying  to  see  a 
bit  of  the  great  world,"  remarked  the 
bank  manager  while  the  letter  was 
being  typewritten. 

"Yes,  sir;  for  that  reason  I  prefer 
the  roundabout  way  home  instead  of 
returning  to  San  Francisco.  Not  hav 
ing  much  money,  I,  of  course,  work 
my  passage  from  point  to  point.  So 
far  I  have  done  fairly  well,  and  with 
good  luck  I  expect  to  be  back  in  Chi 
cago  six  months  from  now." 

"And  then  what?  A  second  long 
tramp  in  some  other  direction?" 

"No,  sir;  I  am  planning  to  be  a 
newspaper  man  and  hope  to  go  to 
work  on  one  of  the  big  Chicago  dailies 
when  I  get  back." 

The  door  opened  and  a  clerk  brought 
in  the  expected  letter.  Taking  the 
envelope,  the  banker  wrote  in  the  lower 
left-hand  corner,  "Introducing  my 
young  friend,  Paul  Travers."  "There," 
he  exclaimed,  handing  it  over  to  Paul, 


304          PAUL  TRAVEKS1  ADVENTURES 

"if  that  doesn't  do  the  business,  come 
back  and  let  me  know."  Then  he 
shook  hands  with  the  youngster  as  if 
he  were  really  interested  in  him  and 
wished  him  a  safe  and  pleasant  voy 
age  back  to  America. 

In  the  outer  room  Paul  brushed  by 
the  pin-headed  youth  on  the  stool. 
' '  Good-bye,  collars, "  he  murmured  as 
he  passed.  "Try  to  be  a  little  more 
accommodating  to  the  next  stranger  who 
wants  to  see  your  manager."  Without 
waiting  for  a  response  or  even  turning 
his  head  to  note  the  effect  of  this 
flippancy  he  kept  serenely  on  through 
the  office  until  he  reached  the  street. 

It  was  the  junior  member  of  the 
firm  of  steamship  agents  who  received 
the  letter  of  introduction  which  Paul 
brought  from  the  banker.  He  told 
the  lad  it  was  beyond  his  power  to 
make  a  position  for  him  on  any  of 
the  company's  boats,  but  he  would 
furnish  him  a  letter  of  recommenda 
tion  to  the  captain  of  the  incoming 
steamer,  which  was  due  in  a  few  days, 
and  if  there  chanced  to  be  a  vacancy 
he  had  no  doubt  it  would  help  him 
to  secure  it.  Thankful  enough  to  get 


FAREWELL  TO  AUSTRALIA  305 

this  concession  Paul  went  away,  after 
arranging  to  call  for  the  letter  as  soon 
as  the  Chimborazo  was  bulletined. 

The  four  days  intervening  dragged 
heavily  for  the  boy.  With  a  voracious 
appetite  and  an  almost  empty  purse, 
the  problem  of  adjusting  himself  to 
these  conditions  was  a  trying  one.  By 
nice  figuring,  his  finances  would  procure 
just  five  meals,  so  he  was  obliged  to 
restrict  himself  to  one  a  day.  This 
he  planned  to  eat  at  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  combining  in  it  break 
fast,  dinner  and  supper.  He  avoided 
all  exercise  which  had  a  tendency  to 
increase  the  appetite,  and  to  shorten 
the  time  between  meals  as  much  as 
possible  he  read  assiduously  in  the 
public  library.  He  usually  visited  the 
reading-room  immediately  after  taking 
his  combination  meal,  remaining  there 
until  the  doors  were  closed  at  ten 
o'clock.  Then  he  borrowed  an  inter 
esting  book  from  an  attendant,  went 
to  his  room  and  read  till  almost  day 
break. 

An  economical  sleep  followed,  last 
ing  until  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
by  which  time  he  was  hungry  clear 


306    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

through  and  nearly  ready  to  dine  off 
tenpenny  nails.  He  found  a  restaurant 
where  bread  was  placed  on  the  table 
in  generous  quantities,  and  by  filling 
up  freely  on  this  staple  a  shilling  bought 
all  he  could  eat  in  the  way  of  meat 
and  vegetables.  Once  in  a  while  he 
managed  to  slip  a  double  slice  of  bread 
and  butter  in  his  pocket  for  a  midnight 
luncheon,  but  this  was  always  a  red- 
letter  occasion. 

The  Chimborazo  had  scarcely  made 
fast  to  her  dock  when  Paul  sought 
the  captain  and  presented  his  creden 
tials.  Glancing  over  the  letter,  the 
skipper  scribbled  a  few  words  across 
its  face,  and  instructed  the  lad  to  pre 
sent  it  to  the  chief  steward.  The  latter 
was  a  keen-faced  Englishman,  with 
eyes  that  looked  out  from  the  corners, 
and  a  square,  firm  chin  that  denoted 
a  constant  exercise  of  authority.  He 
read  the  letter  very  deliberately,  mean 
time  taking  mental  note  of  Paul's  per 
sonal  appearance. 

"Ever  do  any  stewarding?"  he  sud 
denly  asked. 

"Yes,  sir." 

' '  Got  your   sea  legs,   I   suppose  ? " 


FAREWELL  TO  AUSTRALIA  307 

"Yes,  sir." 

' '  When   can  you   come  to   work  ?  " 

"In  an  hour." 

"All  right;  get  back  here  promptly 
and  report  to  me." 

This  was  the  extent  of  his  cate 
chism,  and  that  was  the  way  in  which 
Paul  became  one  of  the  crew  of  the 
steamship  Chimborazo,  as  stanch  a 
vessel  as  ever  breasted  the  waves  of 
the  Indian  ocean  or  plowed  between 
the  sun-baked  shores  of  the  Suez  canal. 

On  the  ship's  books  he  was  rated 
merely  as  '  'general  servant, "  in  which 
classification  all  the  understewards 
were  entered.  If  Paul  had  an  easy 
time  ashore,  he  soon  made  up  for  it 
by  his  labors  aboard  the  Chimborazo, 
which  in  the  week  prior  to  sailing  he 
found  arduous  enough.  He  was  one 
of  a  score  of  youngsters,  ranging  in 
age  from  sixteen  to  twenty,  whose 
duties  were  confined  exclusively  to 
caring  for  the  main  deck  and  saloon 
when  not  engaged  in  waiting  on  pas 
sengers.  The  chief  steward  and  his 
brawny  first  assistant  saw  to  it  that 
no  one  loafed  or  shirked  his  work, 


308         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

their  constant  supervision  rendering 
any  "soldiering"  out  of  the  question. 

While  the  ship  lay  at  her  docks, 
and  before  the  passengers  came  aboard, 
the  lads  were  kept  very  busy  scrub 
bing  the  paintwork,  cleaning  the  sil 
verware,  getting  in  stores,  and  holy 
stoning  the  main  or  saloon  deck, 
which  the  sailors  were  not  supposed 
to  touch.  Holystoning  began  imme 
diately  after  coaling,  which  latter 
operation  left  the  boards  in  inky 
blackness.  It  was  a  job  the  boys 
had  to  do  on  their  hands  and  knees, 
pumice-stone  instead  of  soap  being 
the  chief  accessory  in  removing  the 
dirt.  Paul's  back  ached  for  a  week 
following  this  assignment,  while  his 
skinned  knees  and  sore  ringers  bore 
tribute  to  the  thoroughness  of  his 
work. 

But,  after  all,  this  task  was  not  to 
be  compared  with  his  ice-packing 
experience,  a  chilly  operation  which 
sent  the  boy  to  his  bunk  with  cholera 
cramps  that  threatened  for  a  whole 
day  to  develop  into  a  serious  illness. 

As  the  Chimborazo  was  bound  for 
London  via  the  Indian  ocean,  Red 


FAREWELL  TO  AUSTRALIA  309 

sea,  Suez  canal,  and  the  Mediter 
ranean,  which  meant  five  or  six  weeks 
of  voyaging  in  the  hottest  latitudes,  a 
goodly  supply  of  ice  was  a  very  es 
sential  part  of  the  commissariat,  and 
to  keep  well  it  required  close  packing. 
Paul,  with  three  others,  was  detailed  to 
enter  the  freezing  room  and  store  the 
ice,  neatly  and  compactly,  as  the  huge 
blocks  were  sent  below  by  means  of  a 
rope  and  tackle. 

The  compartment  was  long  and  nar 
row  and  the  ceiling  so  low  that  as  the 
tiers  of  ice  uprose  the  boys  were  com 
pelled  to  lie  outstretched  on  the  chilly 
blocks,  in  which  awkward  position 
they  slid  the  big  squares  into  place. 
Armed  with  a  pick  and  with  only  a 
potato  sack  between  his  thin  serge 
trousers  and  the  icy  surface,  for  nearly 
four  hours  Paul  filled  in  the  crevices 
with  broken  pieces,  which  had  to  be 
vigorously  pounded  home  in  order  to 
make  the  ice  pack  thoroughly.  In 
spite  of  the  chilly  atmosphere  the  lads 
perspired  freely,  and  when  their  task 
was  completed  all  four  were  in  a  state 
of  physical  exhaustion  that  threatened 
deleterious  results.  A  double  dose  of 


310          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

brandy  ordered  by  the  doctor  and  a 
recommendation  to  strip  and  crawl 
between  woolen  blankets  had  a  salu 
tary  effect,  but  for  the  succeeding 
twenty-four  hours  Paul  lay  groaning 
in  his  bunk  with  a  severe  and  decid 
edly  unromantic  attack  of  cramps  in 
his  stomach.  He  was  feeling  better, 
but  still  unable  to  leave  his  berth, 
when  the  Chimborazo  steamed  out 
from  her  docks  and  headed  for  the 
Pacific  ocean. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

LIFE    IN   THE     ''GLORY    HOLE." 

THE  sleeping  apartment  of  the  un- 
derstewards  was  known  as  the  "glory 
hole."  Who  first  gave  it  this  singular 
but  striking  title  no  one  could  tell,  but 
the  "glory  hole"  it  had  been  far  back 
in  the  earliest  recollection  of  the  oldest 
hand  on  shipboard. 

It  was  appropriately  named  in  many 
respects.  Situated  just  forward  of  the 
main  saloon,  on  the  deck  below,  it  was 
separated  by  a  thin  partition  only  from 
the  hold,  where  the  passengers'  bag 
gage  was  stored.  A  dark  and  dismal 
compartment  at  best,  fitted  up  with  a 
number  of  wooden  bunks  or  "pews" 
and  lighted  by  an  oil  lamp  which  swung 
from  the  center  of  the  room,  it  illy  ac 
commodated  the  score  of  understew- 
ards,  pantrymen  and  galley  slaves  who 
made  life  a  burden  to  the  head  saloon 
steward. 

The  wit    of    the   glory    hole    was   a 

3" 


312    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

genuine  London  cockney,  nicknamed 
"Scully,"  from  the  fact  that  he  filled 
the  position  of  scullery  boy  in  the 
cook's  kitchen,  where  he  furbished  the 
pots,  pans  and  copper  kettles  sacred 
to  that  department.  He  could  neither 
read  nor  write,  but  was  chock  full  of 
native  humor,  and  his  bright  sallies 
kept  his  companions  in  a  constant  roar 
whenever  he  was  below.  It  was  he 
who  christened  Paul  '  'Yank, "  and  who 
established  the  newcomer  in  his  strange 
surroundings  by  giving  him  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship  and  welcoming  him 
to  the  glory  hole. 

The  name  stuck  to  Paul  throughout 
the  voyage,  and  so  long  as  he  remained 
on  shipboard  no  one  ever  thought  of  call 
ing  him  anything  else.  Even  the  chief 
steward  addressed  him  by  this  title, 
and  on  one  occasion  the  pompous  cap 
tain,  making  his  morning  round  of  in 
spection,  inquired  why  ' '  Yank's  "  blan 
kets  were  not  neatly  folded  and  in 
their  customary  place  at  the  head  of 
his  bunk. 

Shipped  at  London  and  serving  Eng 
lish  owners,  it  naturally  followed  that 
all  Paul's  messmates  were  Britishers. 


LIFE  IN  THE  "GLORY  HOLE"  313 

Many  of  them,  like  the  witty  but  illit 
erate  ' '  Scully, "  were  cockney  born  and 
bred,  and  their  sublime  disregard  of 
the  English  language,  particularly  of 
the  letter  ' '  h, "  was  an  unsolved  puz 
zle  over  which  Paul  constantly  mar 
veled.  Full  of  Whitechapel  slang  and 
concert  hall  ditties,  there  was  yet  noth 
ing  vicious  about  the  youngsters,  whose 
treatment  of  the  American  recruit  was 
friendly  enough,  with  one  or  two  not 
able  exceptions. 

There  were  two  pert  cockney  youths 
who  did  not  take  kindly  to  Paul's  ad 
vent  among  them.  From  the  outset 
they  sneered  at  the  ' '  blawsted  Yankee, " 
whom  they  looked  upon  as  an  inter 
loper  and  with  whom  they  were  con 
stantly  finding  fault,  to  the  great  dis 
gust  of  Paul's  self-constituted  friend, 
"Scully." 

"W'y  cawn't  yer  leave  Yank  alone?  " 
he  bawled  from  his  pew  the  morning 
after  sailing,  when  Paul,  aching  in 
every  limb  from  his  ice-packing  expe 
rience,  lay  groaning  in  his  bunk.  'E 
ain't  a  '  urtin '  you  blokes,  is  '  e  ? " 

They  had  been  making  covert  allu 
sions  to  the  lad's  illness,  intimating  in 


314    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

a  mean  sort  of  way  that  he  was  too 
fond  of  his  bunk  and  that  his  ailment 
was  only  a  pretense.  Too  sick  to  make 
a  vigorous  protest,  Paul  could  only  feebly 
resent  their  insinuations,  but  he  men 
tally  vowed  to  have  it  out  with  them 
whenever  he  was  well  enough  to  stand 
up  and  take  his  medicine. 

"Let  'em  alone,  Scully,"  he  mur 
mured  to  his  friend,  who  occupied  the 
adjoining  pew.  ' '  I'll  settle  with  '  em 
both  just  as  soon  as  I'm  able  to  get 
up;  see  if  I  don't." 

"D'ye  'ear  that,  Bricksey?  D'ye 
'ear  that,  Jonas?"  exclaimed  Scully, 
scenting  a  battle  royal  from  afar,  and 
secretly  exulting  in  the  anticipated 
sport.  ' ' '  E'll  give  you  blokes  a  precious 
wiggin ',  'e  says,  one  o '  these  days. " 

Bricksey  and  Jonas  were  in  the  act 
of  completing  their  toilets  preparatory 
to  waiting  on  the  saloon  table  for 
breakfast.  ' '  W'enever  '  e's  ready, "  said 
lofty  Mr.  Jonas,  buttoning  on  a  cellu 
loid  collar,  ' '  I  shall  be  most  'appy  to 
meet  'im."  "And  as  for  me, "chimed 
in  Bricksey,  "I'll  punch  'is  bloomin' 
'ead  with  the  greatest  pleasure  and 
without  charge  h'any  time  'e  wants  the 


LIFE  IN  THE  "GLORY  HOLE"  315 

job  done."  At  which  flippancy  both 
laughed  uproariously,  and  sprang  up 
the  companionway  to  the  deck  above. 

' '  Two  nice  cups  o '  tea,  them  ducks 
is,  now  ain't  they  ?  "  observed  Scully, 
sarcastically.  "S'elp  me  bob,  I'll  lick 
'em  meself,  Yank,  if  you  don't,  just 
to  teach  'em  good  manners;  they's 
too  jolly  flip,  they  is,  for  this  'ere 
glory  'ole." 

At  Melbourne  Paul  was  able  to  crawl 
out  of  his  bunk  and  renew  his  duties; 
a  little  shaky  on  his  pins  and  still  full 
of  aches  and  pains,  but  too  anxious 
to  refute  the  insinuation  that  he  was 
' '  soldiering "  to  occupy  his  pew  any 
longer.  More  passengers  and  stores 
were  taken  aboard  and  then  the  Chim- 
borazo  steamed  away  to  South  Aus 
tralia,  where  she  was  to  make  her  last 
call  in  colonial  waters.  Anchoring  in 
the  beautiful  semaphore  of  Port  Ade 
laide,  a  quantity  of  flour  and  a  dozen 
live  steers  were  brought  aboard  in 
lighters,  while  a  small  tug  conveyed 
the  half  dozen  passengers  booked  from 
this  port.  Paul  longed  to  go  ashore 
to  pay  a  farewell  visit  to  his  cousins, 
but  the  ship's  stay  was  limited  to  a 


316    PAUL  TR AVERS'  ADVENTURES 

few  hours,  which  effectually  precluded 
a  leave  of  absence. 

From  Adelaide  the  steamer  headed 
direct  for  Cape  Leewin,  which  is  at 
the  southern  extremity  of  Western 
Australia  and  the  last  bit  of  land  to 
be  seen  until  Cape  Guardafui,  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  Africa,  is  sighted.  In 
rounding  this  point  vessels  are  pretty 
sure  to  encounter  a  heavy  blow,  Cape 
Leewin  being  a  sort  of  miniature  Cape 
Horn,  with  a  gale  of  wind  in  con 
stant  readiness  to  let  loose  on  the 
wary  navigator. 

The  Chimborazo  had  to  take  her 
medicine  with  the  rest,  with,  perhaps, 
a  little  extra  dose  of  dirty  weather  by 
way  of  an  Australian  farewell.  The 
wind  blew  almost  a  hurricane  and  the 
waves  that  dashed  over  the  ship  were 
so  cold  and  came  with  such  force  that 
several  of  the  steers  on  deck  died  from 
the  exposure  while  dozens  of  chickens 
were  drowned  in  their  coops. 

Paul  witnessed  an  amusing  incident 
during  this  blow.  The  gale  was  at 
its  height  when  he  relieved  the  "sa 
loon  watch"  about  midnight,  and  his 


LIFE  IN  THE  "GLORY  HOLE"           317 

instructions  were  to  see  that  all  the 
portholes  were  kept  snug,  as  the 
Chimborazo  was  shipping  considerable 
sea.  The  passengers  had  been  warned 
before  retiring  to  refrain  from  touch 
ing  them,  no  matter  how  close  the 
atmosphere  became,  but  an  obstinate 
John  Bull  thought  he  knew  more 
than  the  officers  and  turned  in,  leav 
ing  the  porthole  in  his  berth  partially 
open. 

He  was  rudely  awakened  from 
sleep  by  a  sudden  rush  of  water 
through  the  orifice,  which  completely 
drenched  the  cabin  and,  pouring  into 
his  berth,  half  drowned  the  occupant. 
Scared  nearly  out  of  his  wits,  and  al 
most  choked  with  salt  water,  he 
leaped  to  the  floor  and  darted  into 
the  saloon  shrieking:  "We're  drown 
ing,  we're  drowning!" 

Guessing  the  cause  of  his  fright, 
Paul  ran  by  the  excited  Englishman 
and  jumped  for  the  open  port  in  the 
stateroom.  Taking  advantage  of  a 
favorable  lurch  of  the  vessel,  he 
slammed  the  iron  frame  shut  and 
turned  the  screw  before  the  next 
wave  had  a  chance  to  force  its  way 


318    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

through.  Meantime  the  rest  of  the 
passengers,  catching  the  alarm,  came 
rushing  'from  their  cabins,  regardless 
of  their  costumes.  Men  in  pajamas 
and  women  with  faces  as  white 
as  their  nightrobes  pounced  upon 
Paul  as  he  emerged  from  the  flooded 
stateroom,  all  eager  to  learn  the 
dire  tidings.  Quieting  their  fears  by 
assuring  them  there  was  no  danger, 
the  lad  hastily  explained  the  cause  of 
the  commotion. 

Then  the  women  awoke  to  a  sense 
of  the  proprieties,  and,  gathering  their 
flowing  garments  about  them,  fled 
back  to  the  privacy  of  their  cabins. 
One  stout  colonial  lady,  who  was  in  a 
particularly  airy  garb,  grabbed  the 
red  piano  cover  to  hide  her  exposed 
limbs,  and  whisked  through  the  saloon 
like  a  flaming  meteor,  her  flight 
hastened  by  an  uncontrollable  burst 
of  laughter  from  two  irreverent  young 
sters  in  pajamas  who  were  not  too 
scared  to  enjoy  the  ludicrous  spectacle 
she  presented. 

Paul  had  a  hard  task  mopping  up 
the  water  in  the  Englishman's  cabin. 
But  there  was  some  satisfaction  in 


LIFE  IN  THE  "GLORY  HOLE"          3J9 

knowing  that  every  stitch  of  clothing 
in  it  was  soaked  with  salt  water  and 
completely  spoiled.  It  was  daylight 
before  the  lad  restored  order,  and  he 
felt  he  had  fairly  earned  the  piece  of 
gold  which  the  passenger  insisted  was 
due  him  for  his  trouble. 

After  this  experience  the  English 
man  never  fooled  with  portholes,  and 
on  the  hottest  nights,  while  in  the 
Red  Sea,  he  lay  half  suffocated  in 
his  berth  rather  than  take  any  chances 
with  open  ports. 

After  leaving  Cape  Leewin  the 
weather  moderated  materially,  but  the 
first  Sunday  at  sea  it  was  still  too 
rough  to  hold  services  on  deck,  so 
the  passengers  gathered  in  the  main 
saloon,  the  captain  officiating  and  the 
entire  crew  participating.  As  Paul 
was  very  tired,  he  passed  the  hour  in 
his  pew  in  rest  and  appropriate  med 
itation,  listening  half  dreamily  to  the 
running  fire  of  cockney  small  talk  in 
dulged  in  by  his  comrades  of  the 
glory  hole.  So  far  he  had  avoided 
any  direct  quarrel  with  either  Jonas 
or  Bricksey,  but  every  day  their  atti 
tude  toward  him  became  more  exas- 


320    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

perating  and  unbearable,  and  the  lad 
was  nerving  himself  for  the  supreme 
moment  when  he  felt  sure  he  would 
be  compelled  to  assert  his  manhood. 

In  the  assignment  of  work  among 
the  understewards,  to  Paul  had  been 
given  the  task  of  waiting  on  the 
children's  table.  There  were  about  a 
dozen  little  ones  in  the  saloon,  and 
they,  together  with  several  nurses 
who  ate  with  them,  were  the  lad's 
particular  charges.  It  really  meant  so 
much  extra  work  for  him,  as,  their 
meals  occurring  half  an  hour  in  ad 
vance  of  the  saloon  table,  he  was 
expected  to  get  everything  cleared 
away  before  the  regular  meal  times, 
in  which  he  also  had  to  lend  a  hand. 
There  was  no  idling  on  board  the 
Chimborazo,  and  those  who  have  fol 
lowed  Paul's  adventures  thus  far  may 
judge  for  themselves  whether  the  lad 
earned  his  salt  these  days.  A  glance 
at  a  sample  day's  work  will  better 
inform  them  how  his  time  was  occu 
pied. 

At  4:45  A.M.  the  "deck  man  "  clat 
tered  down  the  companionway  into  the 
glory  hole  and  aroused  the  tired  occu- 


LIFE  IN  THE  "GLORY  HOLE"  321 

pants  of  the  pews  with  a  ( '  Now,  then, 
tumble  out,  fellows;  two  bells  just 
gone.  Pile  up  on  deck  lively ! " 

With  many  a  yawn  and  muttered 
remonstrance  the  boys  lazily  dress  and 
seek  the  purer  air  above.  Each  one 
is  supplied  with  a  bucket  and  scrub 
bing  brush  at  the  beginning  of  the 
voyage,  for  which  he  is  held  respon 
sible.  Any  loss  is  charged  to  his  ac 
count  and  deducted  from  his  wages 
when  the  crew  is  paid  off.  Sometimes 
a  boy  loses  his  brush  and  bucket 
through  carelessness,  and  these  he  tries 
to  replace  by  poaching  on  his  comrades' 
supplies,  carefully  erasing  their  private 
marks  and  substituting  his  own  instead. 

Paul's  initial  duty  after  turning  out 
was  to  produce  his  bucket  and  brush 
from  the  dark  corner  under  his  pew, 
where  they  were  secreted,  and  scrub 
fifty  feet  of  the  main  deck,  the  allot 
ment  being  made  by  the  first  assistant 
steward.  This  task  generally  consumed 
an  hour  and  a  half,  and  the  boy  found 
it  a  rather  severe  eye-opener.  Fol 
lowing  that  came  an  hour's  grind  in 
the  saloon,  polishing  the  glasses  in 
the  racks  or  cleaning  the  brasswork 


322    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

on  the  punkah  rods.  At  7:30  he  went 
below  to  dress  for  the  children's  break 
fast  at  eight.  At  nine  the  regular 
saloon  breakfast  was  served,  after  which 
he  had  thirty  minutes  to  discuss  his 
own  meal,  by  this  time  an  absolute 
necessity.  His  next  move  was  to  dive 
below  into  the  glory  hole  to  get  his 
pew  in  readiness  for  morning  inspec 
tion,  and  then  came  more  cleaning 
in  the  saloon  to  prepare  for  the  eagle 
eye  of  the  captain  on  his  grand  rounds 
at  eleven  o'clock.  Polishing  skylights 
or  silverware  lasted  until  twelve  o'clock, 
when  the  children's  dinner  had  to  be 
served.  Saloon  luncheon  at  one  o'clock 
followed,  after  which,  if  it  was  not  a 
"field  day,"  the  lads  were  allowed  a 
short  rest. 

Twice  a  week,  however,  this  much- 
needed  respite  was  denied,  what  was 
known  as  ' '  field  days  "  occurring,  when 
the  afternoons  were  devoted  to  haul 
ing  flour,  "spuds"  and  other  supplies 
from  the  storeroom  forward  or  passing 
up  beer-cases  from  the  lazarette,  all  of 
which  were  backaching  jobs.  At  five 
o'clock,  in  .the  midst  of  a  delightful 
nap,  the  harsh  voice  of  the  Scotchman, 


LIFE  IN  THE  "GLORY  HOLE"  323 

who  ranked  as  head  saloon  steward, 
would  penetrate  the  glory  hole,  and 
Paul  would  be  awakened  by  the  cry 
of  "Oonder,  below,  Yank!  Air  ye 
comin '  oop  the  noo  ?  "  And  out  ' '  Yank  " 
would  have  to  tumble  in  order  to  serve 
the  children's  tea. 

Saloon  dinner  at  six  was  the  event 
of  the  day,  a  two  hours'  task  that  was 
not  completed  until  every  bit  of  silver, 
glassware  and  crockery  had  been 
' '  strapped  up  "  and  stowed  away  in 
the  pantryman's  closet.  Their  own 
dinner  the  boys  ate  as  they  could  find 
time  after  the  last  passenger  had  cleared 
out  and  before  the  work  of  ' '  strapping 
up  "  began.  Right  on  top  of  this  came 
saloon  tea  at  8:30,  a  light  meal,  in 
which  tea  and  toast  predominated. 
Twice  a  week  Paul's  rest  was  broken 
by  a  midnight  watch  from  twelve  to 
two  or  from  two  to  four,  which  duty, 
however,  did  not  excuse  him  from  the 
regular  call  at  4:45  in  the  morning. 
The  boy  did  not  put  on  much  flesh 
during  the  seven  weeks  he  served 
aboard  the  Chimborazo  on  that  voyage 
from  Sydney  to  London. 

The    second    Sunday    at    sea    was 


324          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

marked  by  a  burial,  the  first  Paul  had 
ever  seen. in  the  ocean,  unless  that  of 
the  performing  stallion  be  considered. 
The  day  previous  a  young  woman  in 
the  steerage  had  died  of  consumption. 
Her  brother  was  taking  her  back  to 
their  native  Wales  to  die,  knowing  she 
was  beyond  recovery.  The  young  man 
was  greatly  affected  during  the  im 
pressive  funeral  services,  and  when  the 
body,  sewed  up  in  canvas  and  weighted 
with  iron  slugs,  was  shot  over  the 
wooden  grating  his  sobs  were  quite 
distressing.  The  funeral  was  held  im 
mediately  after  breakfast,  all  the  pas 
sengers,  fore  and  aft,  gathering  with 
uncovered  heads  about  the  captain,  who 
read  from  the  ritual  the  beautiful 
words  appointed  for  burials  at  sea. 

On  the  Wednesday  following  another 
death  occurred,  this  time  in  the  saloon. 
It  happened  during  Paul's  midnight 
watch.  He  had  just  returned  from 
making  the  "grand  rounds"  in  the 
second  cabin  and  was  trimming  the  oil 
lamp  which  swung  from  the  rack,  when 
he  heard  a  faint  cry  in  one  of  the 
staterooms.  Knowing  the  doctor  had 
been  attending  a  sick  passenger,  the 


LIFE  IN  THE   "GLORY  HOLE"  325 

lad  rightly  guessed  whence  the  sound 
issued  and  went  direct  to  the  invalid's 
cabin.  The  poor  fellow  was  fighting 
for  breath  and  was  feebly  beating  the 
bedclothes  when  Paul  opened  the  door. 
He  summoned  the  doctor  at  once,  but 
before  the  latter  reached  the  sick  man's 
room  his  services  were  not  needed. 
The  deceased  had  made  a  fortune  in 
tin  mining  in  New  South  Wales,  but 
at  the  sacrifice  of  his  health,  his  system 
having  been  ruined  by  lead-poisoning. 
At  eight  bells  Thursday  morning  his 
emaciated  body  was  consigned  to  the 
deep  and  all  his  effects  placed  in  charge 
of  the  purser  to  be  turned  over  to  the 
relatives  in  England. 

One  morning,  shortly  before  the  ship 
crossed  the  equator,  Paul  reached  under 
his  pew  for  his  bucket  and  found  it 
gone.  He  was  positive  he  had  placed 
it  there  the  day  before,  so  he  thought 
there  was  little  doubt  one  of  the  boys 
had  purloined  it.  But  which  one? 
With  unerring  intuition  he  decided 
that  the  thief  was  his  arch-enemy, 
Jonas,  whose  own  bucket,  he  happened 
to  know,  had  been  in  a  dilapidated 
condition  for  some  time.  Both  Jonas 


326     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

and  Bricksey  had  been  particularly 
odious  in  their  actions  for  several  days, 
apparently  with  the  intention  of  making 
life  on  the  Chimborazo  as  uncomfor 
table  as  possible  for  the  "Yankee  in 
terloper.  " 

"Wat's  wrong,  Yank?"  demanded 
Scully,  noticing  Paul's  distress.  ' '  'As 
somebody  been  an'  gone  an'  swiped 
yer  paile?" 

"Yes,  bucket  and  brush  have  both 
disappeared." 

" 'Oo  took  'em  d'ye  suppose?" 

"Well,  I  don't  know,  for  sure,  but 
I  think  Jonas  had  a  hand  in  it." 

Jonas  was  just  getting  ready  to  climb 
the  companion  ladder,  when  the  lad's 
challenging  tones  reached  him. 

He  dropped  back  into  the  glory  hole 
and  stalked  across  the  dimly  lighted 
room  to  where  Paul  stood. 

"You're  a  lyin'  Yankee  sneak!"  he 
shouted,  shaking  his  fist  in  the  boy's 
face,  "and  for  a  thrupp'ny  bit  I'd  lick 
the  whole  'ide  hoffer  yer!" 

The  crucial  moment  had  come.  Paul 
caught  a  glimpse  of  Scully's  tense 
expression  and  he  felt  that  all  the 
boys  were  watching  him  closely  to  see 


LIFE  IN  THE  "GLORY  HOLE"          327 

if  he  displayed  the  white  feather.  He 
knew  he  must  either  give  this  White- 
chapel  bully  a  good  thrashing  or  else 
submit  to  continual  indignities  the 
remainder  of  the  voyage. 

The  ugly  face  of  Jonas  was  peering 
into  his  own  and  the  little  pig  eyes 
wore  so  aggravating  an  expression  that 
in  an  instant  prudence  had  vanished 
and,  shooting  out  his  right  hand,  Paul 
dealt  his  adversary  a  ringing  slap  on 
the  cheek. 

Roaring  like  a  bull,  Jonas  dashed 
for  Paul's  throat,  but  the  youngster 
was  too  quick  for  him,  and,  leaping 
aside,  again  administered  a  smart  clip, 
this  time  with  his  clenched  fist. 

"A  ring,  a  ring!"  yelled  the  boys, 
whose  inherent  British  desire  to  see  fair 
play  was  in  the  ascendant.  ' '  Keep'  em 
apart,  Scully,  till  we  make  a  circle." 

Scully  had  already  darted  in  between 
the  two  angry  lads.  Inwardly  realizing 
it  would  be  a  mistaken  kindness  toward 
Paul  to  prevent  the  fight,  he  hurriedly 
whispered  to  keep  cool  and  ' '  smash 
'im  'atween  the  heyes  hevery  time," 

Bricksey  performed  the  friendly  offices 
for  his  chum.  The  contestants,  stripped 


328    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

to  their  waists,  faced  each  other,  and 
waited  for  Scully  to  call  "  time."  Paul 
was  pale,  but  determined,  Jonas  savage 
and  flushed,  the  fingermarks  on  his 
cheek  showing  plainly  even  in  that  un 
certain  light. 

"Don't  let  'im  close  in  on  ye,"  was 
Scully's  parting  warning;  ''e's  strong 
as  a  'orse  on  the  crush." 

The  lad  nodded  and  the  two  sparred 
for  position.  With  his  long  arms  Jonas 
had  the  advantage,  but  Paul  was  much 
more  active,  and  the  boys  were  by  to 
see  that  no  unfair  advantage  was  taken. 

A  terrific  left-hander  aimed  by  Jonas 
was  neatly  guarded,  and  in  retaliation 
the  youngster  got  in  a  swinging  over 
hand  that  landed  under  his  opponent's 
right  ear.  Back  and  forth  the  blows 
passed  in  rapid  succession,  and  when 
Scully  called  time  both  lads  were  pretty 
well  winded.  Paul's  nose  bled  pro 
fusely  from  a  tap  early  in  the  contest, 
but  his  adversary's  left  eye  was  almost 
closed  and  a  front  tooth  was  missing. 

A  brief  rest  and  they  went  at  it 
again,  the  one  savagely  determined  to 
force  the  fighting,  the  other  keenly 
alert  to  keep  out  of  chancery  and  get 


LIFE  IN  THE  "GLORY  HOLE"  329 

in  as  many  telling  whacks  whenever 
the  opportunities  presented.  In  three 
minutes  they  had  given  and  taken  sev 
eral  vicious  blows,  and  the  punishment 
was  beginning  to  tell.  The  perspira 
tion  poured  down  Paul's  face  and  body  in 
streams,  so  that  he  was  almost  blind 
ed,  while  an  ugly  gash  on  his  cheek 
added  to  his  distress.  But  he  had 
the  grim  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
Jonas  was  in  even  a  worse  condition, 
and  he  gritted  his  teeth  for  the  third 
round. 

Just  as  they  engaged  again  and  Paul 
had  stopped  a  sudden  rush  by  a  well- 
aimed  body  blow  the  boys  were  electri 
fied  by  hearing  a  well-known  voice  ex 
claim  :  ' '  You  young  wretches,  what  do 
you  mean  by  this  sort  of  deviltry? 
Stop  it  this  instant!" 

In  a  second  the  ring  had  melted,  and 
seizing  their  buckets  the  lads  crowded 
up  the  ladder  and  disappeared.  Jonas, 
too,  had  suddenly  vanished,  leaving 
Paul  and  Scully  to  confront  the  angry 
chief  steward. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

ABOARD    THE   CHIMBORAZO. 

PAUL  presented  anything  but  an 
attractive  appearance.  Blood  was 
streaming  from  the  gash  on  his  cheek, 
his  lips  were  puffed  out  to  two  or  three 
times  their  normal  size,  his  left  eye 
was  partially  closed,  and  a  number 
of  black  and  blue  spots  on  his  body 
were  in  painful  evidence.  The  poor 
lad  staggered  back  as  the  chief  stew 
ard  confronted  him,  and  would  have 
fallen  but  for  Scully's  assistance. 

"What  infernal  nonsense  have  you 
been  up  to,  Yank?"  demanded  his 
superior. 

"Tain't  'is  fault,  Mr.  Masters,"  in 
terposed  Scully.  "'E  were  driven  to 
it,  s'elp  me!  There's  the  chap  as  is 
to  blame  for  this  'ere  rumpus, "  and  he 
pointed  toward  Jonas'  pew. 

The    steward    strode    over    to    the 
bunk   indicated   and,    reaching   inside, 
grabbed  the  skulking  occupant  by  an 
330 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  331 

arm.  '  'Come  out  o'  that, "  he  shouted 
"and  show  yourself;  I'll  teach  you 
young  savages  to  fight." 

Groaning  and  mumbling,  Jonas 
dragged  his  half-naked  body  to  the 
center  of  the  room.  He  wasn't  a 
pretty  sight,  either.  One  eye  was 
completely  closed  and  the  other  was 
making  sympathetic  strides  toward  a 
like  condition.  His  chest  showed 
marks  of  severe  punishment,  and 
when  he  opened  his  lips  to  speak  a 
yawning  cavity  denoted  the  absence 
of  two  front  teeth. 

"Now,  what  have  you  two  fellows 
to  say  for  yourselves  that  I  shouldn't 
report  you  to  the  captain?"  exclaimed 
the  steward,  critically  surveying  the 
sorry-looking  couple,  and  striving  hard 
to  control  his  features.  "He  ought 
to  masthead  you  both  for  twenty-four 
hours  and  put  you  on  hardtack  and 
water.  Pretty  looking  objects  you 
are,  I  must  say." 

' '  'E  called  me  a  liar, "  whined  Jonas, 
"an"  then  'e  'it  me." 

' '  He  stole  my  bucket  and  brush,  Mr. 
Masters, "  declared  Paul,  "and  besides 
he  has  been  annoying  and  insulting  me 


332          PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

ever  since  I  came  aboard.  I  couldn't 
stand  it  any  longer  and  just  had  to 
fight  him." 

Perhaps  the  chief  steward  had  some 
inkling  of  the  true  situation,  or,  it  may 
be,  considered  the  boys  had  received 
punishment  enough,  for  he  was  a  wise 
man  of  much  experience  in  handling 
youngsters.  Without  revealing  his 
thoughts,  however,  he  sharply  ques 
tioned  Jonas. 

"Did  you  take  Yank's  bucket?  I 
want  the  truth,  sir!" 

"Ye-es, "  came  the  unwilling  and 
surly  response. 

"Where  is  it?" 

' '  Under  my  pew. " 

"Trot  it  out,  quick!" 

The  thoroughly  whipped  bully  fum 
bled  under  his  bunk  and  presently 
produced  the,  missing  articles,  with 
the  initials  "P.  T."  in  plain  view, 
as  Paul  quietly  pointed  out  to  the 
chief. 

' '  Now,  then,  Jonas, "  demanded  the 
steward,  "what  were  you  doing  with 
Yank's  property?" 

"Nothink,  upon  me  sivvey,  sir;  I 
took  'em  just  to  make  'im  wild,  and 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  333 

was  goin'   to  put   'em  back  harfter  a 
bit." 

The  chief  eyed  him  sharply,  and 
although  he  may  have  thought  the 
fellow  was  lying,  he  hadn't  the  heart 
to  punish  him  further,  for  Jonas  pre 
sented  a  most  pitiable  exterior.  But 
discipline  must  be  maintained,  and 
his  voice  assumed  its  severest  expres 
sion  as  he  continued:  "Very  well, 
sir,  I'll  take  your  word  for  it,  but 
mark  me,  boy,  if  I  hear  of  any  fur 
ther  trouble  I'll  lock  you  up  in  the 
lazarette  long  enough  to  induce  a  bitter 
repentance."  Then  turning  to  Paul 
he  added:  "I  want  no  more  fighting 
aboard  this  ship;  if  you  can't  get  along 
without  that  just  report  to  me,  and 
I'll  find  out  the  reason  why.  Scully, 
I  shall  hold  you  responsible  for  the 
actions  of  Jonas  and  Yank,  and  shall 
expect  you  to  keep  order  down  here. 
Do  you  understand?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"All  right,  then  get  to  work  lively. 
As  for  you,  Jonas,  don't  show  that 
face  of  yours  in  the  saloon  until  those 
eyes  look  half-way  respectable.  Yank, 
wash  off  that  blood  and  go  to  work, 


334          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

and  don't  let  me  catch  you  disabling 
any  more  of  my  help  or  it  may  go 
hard  with  you."  Then  turning  hastily 
to  conceal  a  smile,  the  firm  but  really 
good-hearted  steward  sought  the  deck 
above. 

And  peace  reigned  again  in  the  glory 
hole.  Evidently  Bricksey  had  no  de 
sire  to  run  foul  of  the  ' '  American 
privateer,"  as  some  of  the  boys  dubbed 
Paul  after  his  battle,  for  he  maintained 
a  respectful  distance,  and  took  good 
care  to  keep  his  mouth  shut.  As  for 
Jonas,  he  was  as  mum  as  an  oyster; 
no  amount  of  chaffing  could  elicit  the 
slightest  response  from  his  closed  lips. 
He  had  learned  his  lesson,  and  was 
disposed  to  profit  by  it,  in  all  of  which 
Paul  secretly  exulted,  for  he  was  nat 
urally  a  peaceable  lad,  and  had  no 
desire  to  get  into  further  embroilments 
with  his  shipmates. 

So  a  truce  was  declared  and  the 
wounds  gradually  closed,  but  the  great 
fight  was  a  fruitful  topic  of  conversa 
tion  in  the  glory  hole  for  weeks  after. 
To  this  day  the  old-timers  tell  the 
newly  joined  cockney  of  the  pitched 
battle  they  once  witnessed  at  5  o'clock 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  335 

in  the  morning  between  a  big  chap 
named  Jonas  and  a  plucky  young 
American  called  "Yank,"  and  when 
they  are  asked  which  whipped  they 
shrug  their  shoulders  and  say,  ' '  Well, 
Yank  went  to  work  that  same  morn 
ing,  but  Jonas  didn't  show. up  on  deck 
for  three  days." 

The  third  day  of  July  was  the  third 
Sunday  at  sea,  and  as  the  Chimborazo 
drew  nearer  the  line  the  sun  beat  down 
with  intense  fervor.  But  a  good  breeze 
blew  which  made  living  just  endur 
able,  and  as  the  passengers  stood  bare 
headed  on  the  upper  deck  listening 
to  the  service  read  by  the  captain 
Paul  thought  he  had  never  seen  a 
more  attractive  picture.  The  ocean 
was  like  glass,  the  quarter  deck  as 
spotless  as  successive  holy-stonings 
could  make  it,  and  the  sailors,  in 
their  bright  blue  jerseys,  grouped 
among  the  passengers,  lent  just  the 
requisite  amount  of  color  to  the  scene. 
The  canvas,  flapping  lazily  overhead, 
Paul  likened  to  white  wings  of  peace 
outstretched  above  the  worshipers  as 
if  invoking  a  benediction. 

Fourth     of    July     the    Chimborazo 


336    PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

crossed  the  equator.  For  days  pre 
vious  Paul  had  inwardly  determined 
to  celebrate,  and,  although  he  was 
the  only  American  on  board,  he  felt 
that  he  must  not  let  the  day  pass 
without  some  attempt  at  glorification. 
Accordingly  he  invested  nearly  all  his 
tips  in  lemonade,  mild  bottled  beer, 
pipes,  tobacco  and  cigars,  intending  to 
give  a  feast  to  his  comrades.  From 
the  kitchen  he  begged  a  quantity  of 
sandwiches,  and  the  pastry  cook  agreed 
to  smuggle  down  a  lot  of  goodies  from 
his  cupboard.  There  were  no  formal 
invitations  extended.  From  the  "copy" 
furnished  by  Paul  the  purser's  clerk 
engrossed  a  handsome  page  of  fools 
cap  in  red  and  blue  ink  on  white  paper, 
bearing  the  general  invitation,  which 
the  lad  tacked  up  on  the  centerpost 
in  the  glory  hole.  Its  composition  af 
forded  the  boys  considerable  amuse 
ment.  Even  the  lofty  captain  deigned 
to  smile  when  at  inspection  the  chief 
steward  called  his  attention  to  the  odd 
announcement.  The  notice  was  couched 
something  like  this: 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  337 


AT  SEA. 

July  4, 188— 

ORIENT  S.  S.  CHIMBORAZO. 


THE  AMERICAN  EAGLE  WILL  SCREAM  IN  THE  GLORY 

HOLE    THIS   EVENING    AT   TWO    BELLS,    UNDER 

THE    PERSONAL    DIRECTION    OF    "YANK" 

TRAVERS. 

ALL    OCCUPANTS    OF  PEWS  ARE  CORDIALLY  INVITED 

TO  HEAR  THE  GREAT  BIRD  OF    FREEDOM    SHRIEK 

AND  TO  INSPECT  HER  TAIL  FEATHERS. 

THERE     WILL     BE    GOOD    THINGS    TO      EAT,     GOOD 

THINGS    TO    DRINK,  GOOD    TOBACCO   TO  SMOKE 

AND  A  HIGH  OLD  TIME  GENERALLY. 


P.  S.— Guests  are  kindly  requested  to  refrain  from 
plucking  the  bird's  plumage.  Come  early  and  avoid 
the  rush. 


The  entertainment  was  a  huge  suc 
cess.  Paul  was  quite  a  favorite  with 
the  boys,  and  they  attended  his  jolli 
fication  en  masse,  heedless  of  the  fact 
that  they  were  asked  to  celebrate  the 
defeat  of  the  British  flag  and  the 
birthday  of  the  republic  wrested  from 
the  hands  of  their  own  monarchical 
forefathers.  Paul's  speech,  too,  was 
enthusiastically  received.  It  was  beau 
tifully  short  and  to  the  point.  When 
Scully  pounded  on  the  center  post 


338          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

for  order  and  asked  permission  to 
"interduce"  his  "pertickler  friend, 
Yank,"  there  was  a  yell  of  approval, 
in  the  last  throes  of  which  the  orator 
of  the  day  jumped  on  the  table  and, 
straddling  a  plate  of  beans,  waved  a 
hand  for  attention. 

"Fellow-messmates:"  he  began.  "In 
my  country  Fourth  of  July  is  a 
famous  holiday;  everybody  takes  a 
day  off  then  to  hear  the  national 
bird  scream  and  to  see  her  spread 
her  tail  feathers.  The  eagle,  as  some 
of  you  may  know,  is  our  emblem  of 
freedom  and  is  held  in  much  the 
same  regard  as  the  British  lion  is  by 
all  true  Englishmen.  This  is  the  an 
niversary  of  the  day  when  the  Amer 
ican  eagle  twisted  the  British  lion's 
tail  until  he  roared  with  pain  and  let 
go  his  grip  of  the  American  colonies 
forever.  The  eagle  and  the  lion  have 
been  good  friends  ever  since,  bar 
one  or  two  little  spats  that  have  long 
since  been  forgiven  and  forgotten.  The 
real  American  is  so  closely  allied  to 
the  Englishman  that  it  wouldn't  sur 
prise  me  at  all  if  I  could  trace  rela 
tionship  to  half  you  fellows  in  the 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  339 

glory  hole.  But  life  is  short,  and 
there  are  things  more  pressing  before 
us.  As  an  American  I  am  glad  to 
welcome  you  to  this  humble  feast, 
and  as  good  Englishmen  I  shall  ex 
pect  you  to  sweep  the  board.  I  will 
now  propose  the  health  of  the  Amer 
ican  eagle — long  may  she  scream. 
(Ah!  thank  you,  gentlemen,  that  was 
very  handsome.)  And  now,  please,  a 
bumper  in  honor  of  the  well-fed  and 
eminently  respectable  British  lion — 
long  may  he  roar." 

The  cheers  were  given  with  a  will, 
and  as  Paul  leaped  from  his  perch 
the  lads  gave  a  three-times-three  for 
their  host,  after  which  they  fell  to  on 
the  lemonade,  mild  beer  and  eatables 
he  had  provided.  Then  the  long 
'  'churchwardens"  were  brought  out  and 
the  pipes  of  peace  puffed  until  the 
smoke  in  the  glory  hole  was  thick 
enough  to  cut  with  a  knife.  But  the 
big  ventilator  running  from  the  deck 
above  was  brought  into  play,  and 
when  the  fog  lifted  the  boys  called 
on  Paul  for  a  song. 

"Come,  Yank,  pipe  up,"  they  in 
sisted. 


34°         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

"Yes,  cut  loose,  old  fellow;  give  us 
'Yankee  Doodle.' ' 

"No,  no,"  laughed  Paul,  "not  that; 
I'll  give  you  an  air  with  which  you 
are  all  familiar.  Your  countrymen 
swear  we  stole  it  from  your  'God 
Save  the  Queen,'  but  my  people  de 
clare  you  adopted  it  from  an  old 
Slav  air,  so  I  guess  that  evens  it  up." 

Then  in  a  clear  voice,   Paul  began: 

"My  country,  'tis  of  thee, 
Sweet  land  of  liberty." 

The  boys  listened  intently  to  the 
end.  An  encore  being  demanded, 
with  graceful  tact  he  started  "God 
Save  the  Queen,"  which  brought  all 
the  loyal  lads  to  their  feet,  and,  join 
ing  in  with  a  will,  they  fairly  made 
the  boards  creak.  Paul's  Fourth  of 
July  celebration  was  voted  a  magnifi 
cent  success. 

Cape  Guardafui  was  sighted  next 
day — the  first  land  raised  in  three 
weeks,  after  a  run  of  nearly  six  thou 
sand  miles.  The  coast  line  is  very 
bold  and  rugged,  and  is  so  dangerous 
that  mariners  give  it  a  wide  berth. 
In  addition,  the  natives  are  noted  for 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  341 

their  treachery  and  inhospitality,  few 
castaways  ever  escaping  from  their 
clutches. 

Five  days  later  the  Chimborazo 
passed  the  port  of  Aden  on  the  Arabian 
coast,  the  coaling  station  for  the  penin 
sular  and  orient  steamships,  but  as  the 
orient  liners  coal  at  Port  Said,  no  stop 
was  made.  Next  morning  the  big 
steamer  entered  the  Red  Sea  through 
Bab-el-Mandeb,  or  "  Gates  of  Hell." 

"Sizzling"  hot  better  describes  the 
atmospheric  condition  on  shipboard 
than  any  other  term,  and  if  Paul  had 
previously  wondered  at  the  significance 
of  the  Arabic  for  ' '  hell  gates "  he  no 
longer  questioned  its  appropriateness. 
Several  wrecks  were  sighted  on  the  way 
to  Suez,  the  deserted  hulks  standing 
high  and  dry  on  the  sand  close  to 
the  African  shore. 

Naturally  enough  the  lad  was  eager 
to  get  a  first  glimpse  of  the  famous  Suez 
canal,  that  marvelous  triumph  of  engi 
neering  skill  which  so  endeared  the 
indomitable  De  Lesseps  to  the  French 
people,  whose  confidence  in  him  not 
even  the  disastrous  Panama  canal 
venture  could  entirely  shake.  The 


342    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

white  stone  government  building  ad 
joins  the  entrance  to  the  great  canal  so 
closely  that  the  architectural  details 
could  be  seen  from  the  deck  of  the 
Chimborazo.  Vessels  going  through 
are  restricted  to  a  speed  of  five  miles 
an  hour,  which  makes  a  tedious  pas 
sage,  particularly  as  no  travel  is  per 
mitted  after  dark. 

At  the  second  station,  where  the 
Chimborazo  was  held  over  night,  Paul 
and  Scully  took  a  plunge  overboard, 
swimming  from  the  African  to  the 
Arabian  shore.  But  the  current  was 
so  strong  that  when  they  landed  on 
the  sandy  beach  they  found  they  had 
been  carried  fully  three  hundred  yards 
below  the  vessel.  In  returning,  they 
ran  along  shore  until  the  boat  lay  a 
corresponding  distance  down  stream, 
when  they  took  to  the  water,  and  after 
an  easy  swim  brought  up  alongside 
and  were  hauled  aboard. 

From  one  station  to  another  the  ship 
was  attended  by  brown-skinned  young 
Arabs,  who  ran  along  the  sandy  shores 
of  the  canal  begging  ' '  backsheesh, "  to 
obtain  which  they  plunged  into  the 
water  whenever  the  pennies  were  flung 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  343 

from  the  quarter  deck.  Boys  and  girls, 
anywhere  from  ten  to  fourteen,  followed 
the  vessel  on  a  dog-trot  for  hours, 
none  of  them  wearing  a  scrap  of  cloth 
ing.  Another  feature  that  impressed 
Paul  was  the  number  of  small,  wooden 
crosses  that  lined  the  upper  banks  of 
the  canal,  marking  the  burial  places 
of  hundreds  of  laborers  whose  lives 
were  forfeited  during  the  process  of 
construction.  It  is  said  that  the  build 
ing  of  the  Suez  canal  cost  the  lives 
of  over  five  thousand  human  beings. 
A  motley  crowd  of  natives  offering 
all  kinds  of  barter  awaited  the  steamer 
at  Port  Said,  which  was  reached  early 
on  a  Sunday  morning.  Almost  as  soon 
as  the  Chimborazo  dropped  her  anchor 
she  was  surrounded  by  a  frantic  lot 
of  boatmen  who  yelled  their  wares  in 
execrable  English  and  sold  alleged 
curios  to  the  passengers  at  ten  times 
their  actual  value.  Big  lighters  loaded 
with  coal  soon  appeared,  and  a  gang 
of  scantily  dressed  fellahs,  each  pro 
vided  with  a  ' '  couffin, "  or  willow  bas 
ket,  began  trotting  up  the  runway 
leading  to  the  coal  bunkers,  into  which 
the  contents  of  their  baskets  were 


344    PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

quickly  dumped,  the  procession  never 
stopping  for  three  hours,  when  five 
hundred  and  sixty  tons  had  been  de 
posited  in  the  steamer's  hold  by  the 
indefatigable  natives.  Port  Said  and 
Singapore  are  considered  the  two  fast 
est  coaling  stations  in  the  world. 

Leaving  Port  Said  in  the  afternoon, 
Paul  soon  had  his  first  sight  of  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  through  the  blue 
waters  of  which  the  Chimborazo  glided 
as  if  her  nose  already  scented  the  white 
cliffs  of  England.  The  lights  of  Alex 
andria  were  discernible  at  dusk,  but 
to  the  lad's  great  regret  no  call  was 
made  at  this  most  ancient  of  Medi 
terranean  ports.  Past  the  Island  of 
Crete,  where  Paul's  sainted  namesake 
is  said  to  have  been  wrecked  on  his 
voyage  to  Rome,  and  on  past  the  mas 
sive  cone  of  Mt.  -^Etna,  with  its  blue 
flames  dancing  upward,  steamed  the 
Chimborazo,  until  the  Straits  of  Messina 
were  entered,  Stromboli  left  in  the 
rear  and  the  Bay  of  Naples  reached 
at  last. 

After  a  magnificent  night  spent  in 
the  beautiful  bay,  with  a  pyrotechnic* 
display  from  Vesuvius,  that  Paul  knew 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  345 

was  made  extra  fine  for  his  sole 
benefit,  the  big  liner  lifted  her  anchor 
and  bore  away  for  Plymouth,  her 
next  port  of  call.  The  rock  of  Gibral 
tar  held  more  of  interest  for  the 
young  traveler  than  any  other  spot  in 
the  Mediterranean,  and  he  gladly 
arose  an  hour  earlier  than  usual  to 
gaze  on  this  historic  pile.  A  glass 
borrowed  from  the  doctor  the  night 
previous  enabled  him  to  take  a  good 
look  at  the  famous  stronghold,  about 
which  clings  so  many  old  world 
romances.  The  signal  station  on  the 
higher  of  the  two  peaks  he  could  see 
quite  plainly,  and  he  fancied  he  caught 
a  glimpse  of  a  redcoat  on  sentry  duty. 
Cape  de  St.  Vincent  was  passed  the 
next  morning,  and  at  seven  in  the 
evening  the  bo's'n,  pointing  to  a  few 
scattered  lights  in  the  distance,  told 
Paul  they  marked  the  location  of 
Lisbon. 

About  midnight  the  Chimborazo  en 
tered  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  across  which 
she  had  a  good  run  to  Plymouth, 
nothing  of  interest  occurring  beyond 
the  death  of  a  steerage  passenger, 
who  was  buried  abreast  of  the  Island 


346         PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

of  Ushant,  making  the  third  death 
during  the  voyage.  The  new  Eddy- 
stone  lighthouse  was  passed  just  before 
dark,  and  at  eight  o'clock  the  anchor 
was  dropped  in  Plymouth  Bay.  Here 
a  few  passengers  went  ashore,  but 
the  majority  went  on  up  the  English 
channel  to  Gravesend,  where  a  gen 
eral  exodus  occurred. 

Their  departure  was  the  signal  for 
an  unwonted  activity  among  Paul's 
messmates,  whose  speculations  for 
days  previous  had  been  based  on  the 
size  of  the  tips  they  hoped  to  receive. 
This  was  a  novel  experience  to  Paul, 
but  as  he  was  there  as  a  Roman 
among  Romans  he  thankfully  accepted 
the  largesse  that  fell  to  his  lot,  a 
goodly  portion  of  which  came  from 
the  parents  of  the  children  whom  he 
had  attended  so  assiduously  during 
the  voyage. 

Among  the  passengers  whose  ac 
quaintance  he  had  cultivated  was  the 
manager  of  the  Beaver  line  of  steam 
ers,  plying  between  Liverpool  and 
Montreal.  Shortly  before  Gravesend 
was  reached  the  gentleman  gave  Paul 
his  card  and  told  the  lad  that  when 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  347 

he  was  ready  to  cross  the  Atlantic  he 
would  help  him  to  a  berth  on  one  of 
his  boats.  Naturally  this  kind  offer 
was  gratefully  received,  for  the  boy 
had  not  forgotten  the  vexatious  delays 
and  disappointments  experienced  at 
San  Francisco,  Dunedin  and  Sydney 
while  trying  to  "get  a  ship." 

The  crew  was  paid  off  at  the  Royal 
Albert  dock  in  London,  where  the 
lad  received  his  wages  account  and 
certificate  of  discharge,  with  its  accom 
panying  "reward  of  merit"  voucher. 
This  evidenced  that  Paul  Travers, 
shipped  at  Sydney  as  general  servant 
and  discharged  at  London,  was  ac 
counted  "very  good  in  whatever 
capacity  engaged,"  and  with  an  estab 
lished  reputation  for  excellent  conduct. 
These  precious  documents  Paul  care 
fully  stowed  away  as  souvenirs  of  his 
voyage,  always  to  be  preserved.  He 
was  back  in  the  glory  hole,  in  fact, 
placing  the  papers  in  his  valise  when 
Jonas  dropped  down  the  companion- 
way. 

"Look  'ere,  Yank,"  said  the  latter, 
holding  out  his  hand,  "I  s'pose  you 
don't  bear  h'any  malice,  do  you?  I 


348          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

was  a  bit  nawsty  when  you  first  came 
aboard,  but  I  'ope  you've  forgotten 
all  that,  hold  chap,  'aven't  you?" 

"Oh,  yes,  long  ago,"  returned  Paul 
heartily,  giving  the  proffered  hand  a 
good  shake.  "When  we  fought  it 
out  and  quit  I  buried  the  hatchet, 
and  I  think  you  did  the  same.  If 
you  ever  get  to  Chicago  look  me  up, 
Jonas,  and  I  shall  be  very  glad  to 
show  you  around.  Good-bye,  old  fel 
low,  remember  me  to  Bricksey." 

As  Paul  stepped  out  on  the  wharf 
with  his  satchel  in  his  hand  he  halted 
to  take  a  farewell  look  at  the  stout 
vessel,  now  given  over  to  the  noisy 
steam  winches  and  shouting  dock 
laborers  engaged  in  unloading  her 
cargo. 

"She's  a  darlin',  my  boy,  ain't 
she?"  sung  out  a  well-known  voice, 
and  the  next  minute  Scully  had  seized 
his  bag  and  was  hurrying  him  across 
the  dock  to  a  cab  he  had  in  waiting. 

"Myke  'aste,  Yank,"  he  urged; 
"honly  got  'arf  a  jiffy  to  get  to  the 
Pig  and  W'istle,  w'ere  the  rest  of 
the  blokes  is.  Just  a  little  good-bye 
sort  of  a  blow-hout,  you  know,"  he 


ABOARD  THE  CHIMBORAZO  349 

explained,  "and  we  want  you  to  jine 
us.  Jump  bin,  old  chap!" 

Laughing  and  half  protesting,  Paul 
suffered  himself  to  be  hustled  into 
the  cab,  and  heard  Scully  tell  the 
driver  to  "clap  on  hall  sail  for  the 
Pig,"  at  which  cozy  inn  Paul  found 
eight  or  nine  of  his  late  comrades  of 
the  glory  hole. 

It  was  a  very  jolly  dinner.  Good 
English  roast  beef,  with  Yorkshire 
pudding  and  a  deep-dished  goose 
berry  pie  that  would  have  made  even 
Carlyle  grin,  were  the  chief  concomi 
tants,  with  vegetables  galore  on  the 
side  and  genuine  old  English  ale, 
"right  from  the  tap,  ye  know,"  as 
the  waiter  assured  Paul.  It  was  al 
most  dark  before  the  lad  finally  broke 
away  from  the  happy  youngsters, 
whose  farewells  wound  up  with  the 
ringing  chorus 

For  he's  a  jolly  good  fellow, 
which  his  friend  Scully  had  started. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

HEADED    FOR    HOME. 

PAUL'S  desire  to  get  away  from  the 
"Pig  and  Whistle"  was  due  solely  to 
his  anxiety  to  obtain  the  letters  which 
he  knew  must  be  awaiting  him  at  the 
American  Exchange  in  the  Strand,  to 
which  address  he  had  directed  his 
people  to  write.  It  was  after  nine 
o'clock  when  he  registered  at  '  'Gillig's, " 
and  on  payment  of  a  small  sum  was 
accorded  the  privileges  of  the  exchange 
for  one  month.  But  better  than  his 
card  of  admission  was  the  budget  of 
letters  which  the  clerk  handed  out  all 
bearing  the  Chicago  postmark.  There 
was  one  among  them  that  caused  his 
heart  to  flutter  wildly,  and  perhaps  all 
his  boy  friends  will  sympathize  with  the 
over-powering  curiosity  which  tempted 
him  to  tear  that  open  before  reading 
the  home  news. 

On  the  envelope,  in  bold  black  type, 
350 


HEADED  FOR  HOME  35 l 

was  printed  "The  Chicago  Mercury," 
and  the  easy-running  superscription  was 
so  clearly  professional  that  Paul  knew 
instinctively  it  was  from  Mr.  Wilder. 
He  was  not  mistaken.  The  managing 
editor  of  the  Mercury  wrote  as  follows : 

DEAR  PAUL — Your  two  breezy  letters  were 
received  in  due  season,  and  were  promptly 
printed  in  the  Mercury.  I  want  to  compli 
ment  you  on  the  excellent  story  of  the  ship 
wreck,  and  to  say  that  it  has  been  favorably 
mentioned  by  a  number  of  competent  critics. 
Your  visit  to  Fiji  was  also  well  told  and 
proved  an  interesting  feature  of  the  Sunday 
paper.  I  am  convinced  you  have  not  mis 
taken  your  field,  and  if  you  do  not  get 
drowned  crossing  the  Atlantic,  that  position 
on  the  Mercury  staff  will  be  ready  for  you  on 
your  return  to  Chicago.  Feeling  certain 
you  will  need  a  little  cash  when  you  get  to 
London,  I  am  inclosing  you  a  draft  for  £10 
in  payment  of  the  two  articles  already  pub 
lished.  We  have  one  more  on  hand,  which 
we  shall  use  next  Sunday,  and  if  you  send  me 
your  New  York  address,  I  will  remit  to  that 
point.  Your  people  are  all  well,  but  very 
anxious  to  see  you  safe  home  again.  With 
warmest  regards  and  congratulating  you  on 
your  plucky  journey,  I  am,  sincerely  your 
friend, 

FRANC  B.  WILDER. 


352          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

Paul's  cheeks  flushed  with  gratified 
pleasure.  Praise  from  Sir  Hubert 
was  praise  indeed,  and  that  the  great 
editor  meant  what  he  said  was  evi 
denced  by  the  handsome  check  he 
inclosed.  Oh,  it  was  too  good,  too 
delightful,  to  be  true,  and  for  five 
minutes  the  lad  could  do  nothing  but 
gaze  at  the  piece  of  stamped  paper 
he  held  in  his  hand.  What  a  lot  of 
presents  he  could  buy  for  his  father, 
mother  and  the  girls!  And  how 
thoughtful  of  Mr.  Wilder  to  forward 
the  money  to  London  instead  of 
waiting  until  he  reached  Chicago. 
He  must  write  an  acknowledgment  at 
once,  thanking  his  kind  friend. 

But  there  were  his  other  letters 
awaiting  a  reading,  and  as  Paul 
glanced  at  the  untouched  envelopes 
he  blushed  to  think  how  nearly  he 
had  forgotten  them  in  the  contempla 
tion  of  Mr.  Wilder's  words  of  praise. 
For  an  hour  he  was  oblivious  of  Eng 
land,  of  London,  of  Gillig's,  as  he 
read  the  closely  written  pages  that 
chronicled  the  fortunes  of  the  Travers 
family  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlan 
tic.  And  all  were  well,  too,  but,  oh, 


HEADED  FOR  HOME  353 

so  anxious  to  get  their  truant  boy 
back  after  his  long  absence.  "We 
read  your  story  of  the  shipwreck  in 
the  Mercury,"  wrote  Madge,  "and 
could  hardly  believe  they  were  your 
own  experiences.  Mother  cried,  but 
I  told  her  I  was  sure  it  was  only  a 
yarn  you  were  spinning  just  to  get 
your  hand  in.  Own  up,  now,  that 
90  per  cent  was  fiction." 

"That's  it,"  grumbled  Paul,  when 
he  came  across  this  frank  criticism. 
' '  The  old  story  of  the  prophet  that 
couldn't  command  respect  in  his  own 
country.  I  suppose  my  friends  will 
believe  all  the  fairy  tales  I  spring  and 
think  they  are  perfectly  natural,  while 
at  the  genuine  adventures  they'll  point 
the  finger  of  scorn  and  reject  them 
as  rank  impositions." 

When  Paul  awoke  next  morning  in 
the  clean  little  room  of  the  lodging 
house  to  which  he  had  been  directed 
by  the  clerk  at  Gillig's,  he  suddenly 
realized  that  it  was  his  eighteenth 
birthday — one  year  and  three  months 
since  he  started  on  his  long  tramp 
around  the  world.  He  decided  that 
he  ought  to  celebrate  it  in  a  way  that 


354          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

would  leave  a  lasting  impress  on  his 
mind,  and,  after  studying  a  guidebook 
at  the  exchange,  concluded  that  a  visit 
to  Westminster  Abbey,  the  Tower  of 
London  and  the  British  Museum  would 
make  a  fitting  holiday. 

To  the  new -world  youngster  that 
ramble  through  the  aisles  of  the  cathe 
dral,  sacred  to  the  memory  of  so  many 
great  men  with  whose  names  and  deeds 
Paul  was  more  or  less  familiar,  was 
full  of  inspiring  thoughts.  He  gave 
a  little  start  on  finding  himself  facing 
the  bust  of  Major  Andre,  whom  the 
sturdy  Americans  had  hanged  as  a 
spy,  but  whom  the  British  revere  as  a 
hero  and  a  martyr. 

"Ah!  it's  the  point  of  view,  after 
all,"  he  mused,  when  he  had  partially 
recovered  from  the  shock.  "  Of  course 
Andre  was  a  hero  in  the  eyes  of  his 
countrymen,  just  as  Captain  Paul  Jones 
was  a  hero  in  the  estimation  of  all 
good  Americans,  and  yet  the  British 
ers  class  Jones  as  a  pirate  of  the  blood- 
thirstiest  kind.  There  are  always  two 
sides  to  every  proposition." 

When  he  came  to  the  plain  marble 
slab  bearing  the  name  of  Charles 


HEADED  FOR  HOME  355 

Dickens,  he  stood  pensively  before  it 
and  murmured:  "  Great  master,  rather 
would  I  have  been  the  creator  of  Syd 
ney  Carton  and  Barnaby  Rudge  than 
be  President  of  the  United  States. 
Your  fame  is  secure  as  long  as  the 
English  language  is  read  or  spoken." 

The  ' '  beef-eaters  "  at  the  tower,  cos 
tumed  just  as  in  the  days  of  bluff 
King  Hal,  he  studied  with  curious  in 
terest.  He  had  read,  somewhere,  years 
before,  that  the  term  ' ( beef-eater  "  was 
an  English  corruption  of  the  French 
word,  ' '  buffetier, "  or  attendant,  so  was 
not  misled  when  a  loquacious  tourist 
attempted  to  explain  that  the  name 
was  given  on  account  of  the  prodigious 
quantity  of  roast  beef  they  used  to  con 
sume  in  olden  times.  However,  Paul 
thanked  the  Kansas  City  man  very 
politely  and  did  not  try  to  undeceive 
him..  He  visited  the  room  where  Lady 
Jane  Gray  was  immured  and  was  also 
shown  her  name,  ' '  Jane, "  scratched  on 
the  wall  of  the  chamber  where  her 
husband,  the  unfortunate  Lord  Dudley, 
was  confined. 

The  damp  dungeons  below,  where 
dangerous  political  prisoners  were  in- 


356          PAUL  TKAVEKS1  ADVENTURES 

carcerated,  had  quite  a  fascination  for 
the  lad,  and  as  he  passed  through  the 
river  gate,  by  which  route  so  many 
ill-starred  statesmen  were  led  to  exe 
cution,  a  vision  arose  of  the  courtly 
figure  of  Sir  Thomas  More  thanking 
the  governor  of  the  tower  for  the  kind 
attentions  bestowed  during  his  period 
of  imprisonment.  The  crown  jewels 
were  interesting  only  because  of  the 
thrilling  story  they  recalled  of  Colonel 
Blood's  daring  attempt  to  carry  them 
off,  but  to  the  old  captured  cannon 
lying  outside  the  walls  he  gave  criti 
cal  attention  and  spent  over  an  hour 
trying  to  decipher  the  curious  letter 
ing,  principally  in  French  and  Spanish, 
that  was  engraved  on  some  of  the 
rusty  pieces  of  ordnance. 

The  afternoon  was  so  far  gone  be 
fore  he  finally  left  the  tower  that  his 
visit  to  the  British  Museum  had  to 
be  deferred  until  next  day,  when  the 
lad  fairly  reveled  in  the  antiquities 
there  contained.  It  would  be  useless  to 
attempt  a  recital  of  what  most  at 
tracted  him — those  of  Paul's  admirers 
who  are  interested  must  register  a  vow 
to  explore  this  wonderful  storehouse 


HEADED  FOR  HOME  357 

for  themselves  some  day — but  his  en 
thusiasm  was  so  great  that  he  had  to 
be  driven  out  by  the  attendants  when 
the  hour  of  closing  arrived,  and  then 
for  the  first  time  in  ten  hours  he  dis 
covered  he  was  hungry. 

The  record  of  the  succeeding  fort 
night  is  one  of  sightseeing  entirely.  All 
the  famous  nooks  about  which  he  had 
read  or  of  which  he  had  heard  were 
visited,  not  forgetting  the  haunts  of 
his  favorite  Dickens,  and  including  an 
exploration  of  Petticoat  Lane  and  the 
famous  Seven  Dials.  These  trips,  of 
course,  made  some  inroads  on  his 
purse,  but  the  lad  soon  learned  to 
travel  inexpensively,  and  previous  se 
vere  experiences  had  instilled  a  spirit 
of  economy  that  was  highly  creditable. 
On  his  jaunts  about  London  he  man 
aged  to  pick  up  a  number  of  pretty 
souvenirs  and  presents  to  carry  home, 
which  he  knew  would  be  fully  appre 
ciated  by  the  recipients,  and  these, 
together  with  his  Australian  curios, 
made  a  very  respectable  and  interesting 
collection. 

But   it   was  a  piteous   appeal   from 
his    mother,    written    in    reply   to    the 


358     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

letter  sent  on  his  arrival  in  London, 
that  put  a  sudden  end  to  his  ram 
bles.  It  gave  the  lad  an  acute  attack 
of  homesickness  not  to  be  resisted, 
so,  forswearing  all  further  explora 
tions,  he  bought  a  ticket  to  Liverpool 
and  left  London  that  same  day. 

At  5  o'clock  in  the  evening  Paul 
walked  into  the  manager's  office  of 
the  Beaver  Line  Steamship  Company 
and  presented  the  card  that  had  been 
given  him  aboard  the  Chimborazo. 

"Ah,  it's  you,  my  lad,  is  it?"  ex 
claimed  the  manager,  coming  forward. 
"Tired  of  London  so  soon?" 

"Not  tired  exactly,  but  desperately 
homesick,"  returned  Paul  smilingly. 

"And  want  to  get  a  ship,  I  sup 
pose,  eh?" 

"Yes,  sir,  if  you  please." 

"Well,  you're  in  luck.  The  Win 
nipeg  was  to  have  sailed  at  six 
o'clock,  but  she  is  delayed  four  hours 
on  account  of  a  slight  break  in  her 
machinery.  I  will  give  you  a  note  to 
her  captain,  and  you  can  pull  out  and 
present  it  as  soon  as  you  please." 

Paul  sincerely  thanked  the  manager 
for  his  interest,  and  in  half  an  hour 


HEADED  FOR  HOME  359 

was  on  the  Mersey  with  a  Liverpool 
boatman,  en  route  to  the  Winnipeg. 
The  captain  was  a  bluff  old  Canadian, 
who  consigned  Paul  at  once  to  the 
steward,  with  instructions  to  put  him 
to  work,  and  before  the  ship  weighed 
her  anchor  the  lad  was  cleaning  silver 
in  the  pantry,  having  signed  papers 
for  Montreal. 

Compared  with  the  Chimborazo, 
Paul  had  a  very  easy  time  on  the 
Winnipeg.  There  was  no  loafing,  but 
with  only  thirty  saloon  passengers 
and  very  few  in  the  steerage,  the  de 
mands  on  his  services  were  infinitely 
lighter,  so  that  the  trip  across  the 
Atlantic  was  almost  like  a  pleasure 
trip. 

The  first  week  out  the  ship  met 
strong  head  winds  and  experienced 
pretty  rough  and  rolling  weather,  but 
on  the  second  Sunday  the  day  was 
perfect,  and  all  the  passengers  turned 
out  on  deck  to  enjoy  the  beautiful 
prospect.  The  ocean  was  as  calm 
and  peaceful  as  an  artificial  lake.  As 
the  Winnipeg  entered  the  Straits  of 
Labrador  she  was  obliged  to  run  at 
half  speed,  owing  to  a  very  thick  fog, 


360     PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

but  in  a  few  hours  it  lifted  and  the 
boat  went  ahead  again.  This  was 
the  only  fog  encountered  during  the 
voyage. 

Early  Monday  morning,  just  nine 
days  out  from  Liverpool,  Paul  had 
his  first  view  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
River.  At  Father  Point  the  pilot 
was  taken  aboard  and  at  midnight 
the  steamer  anchored  at  Point  Levi, 
Quebec.  The  day  following  was  spent 
in  discharging  part  of  the  cargo,  but 
Wednesday  morning  the  voyage  was 
resumed  and  Thursday  Montreal  was 
reached.  Here  Paul  received  his  cer 
tificate  of  discharge,  together  with  a 
$10  bill  for  his  services,  which,  with 
a  few  presents  from  the  passengers, 
again  placed  him  in  funds  and  insured 
his  passage  to  Chicago  in  case  of  a 
failure  to  receive  Mr.  Wilder's  remit 
tance  at  New  York. 

But  the  managing  editor  had  not 
forgotten  his  promise,  and  at  the  New 
York  office  of  the  Mercury  Paul  found 
a  brief  note,  and  accompanying  it 
was  a  draft  for  $25.  A  letter  from 
his  father  inclosed  a  trip  pass  over 
the  Erie  lines  to  Chicago,  the  receipt 


HEADED  FOR  HOME  361 

of  which  greatly  elated  the  youth, 
for  it  meant  that  he  could  make  good 
his  boast  of  getting  back  to  Chicago 
with  more  money  in  his  pocket  than 
he  had  at  the  start. 

With  a  view  to  surprising  his  fam 
ily  Paul  purposely  refrained  from 
telegraphing  his  prospective  arrival, 
so  that  not  a  soul  was  present  to 
meet  him  when  the  train  rolled  in  at 
the  terminal  station  at  Chicago. 
Eager  to  get  home,  the  lad  threw 
his  valise  into  the  first  cab  he  saw 
and  told  the  driver  to  make  the  best 
time  he  could  to  the  corner  of  Hoyne 
avenue  and  Adams  street,  where  he 
planned  to  alight  and  walk  to  the 
house  unobserved. 

It  was  just  dusk  when  Paul  stole 
up  the  back  porch  of  the  modest 
cottage  in  which  he  and  his  two  sis 
ters  were  born.  A  gas  jet  was  burn 
ing  in  the  kitchen,  and  through  the 
screen  window  he  could  see  Madge 
and  Edith  putting  away  the  supper 
dishes.  The  screen  door  was  un 
latched,  and,  pushing  it  gently  open, 
he  suddenly  dropped  his  valise  on 
the  kitchen  floor. 


362     PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

Both  girls  turned  quickly,  and, 
not  immediately  recognizing  their 
brother,  gave  a  short  scream,  which 
was  abruptly  checked  by  a  cry  of 
"Oh,  it's  Paul,  it's  Paul!"  and  the 
next  instant  his  sisters  were  folded  to 
his  heart. 

Such  a  crying!  Such  a  kissing!  In 
the  midst  of  which  in  came  their 
mother  to  learn  the  cause  of  the 
hubbub. 

Well,  there  are  some  scenes  that 
are  too  sacred  to  be  described,  and  that 
meeting  of  Paul  and  his  mother  was 
one  of  them.  When  the  lad  finally 
disengaged  himself  to  receive  the 
embraces  of  his  father,  who  had 
stood  in  the  doorway  watching  this 
joyous  reunion,  the  tears  were  flowing 
fast  down  his  face,  and  the  poor  boy 
could  illy  control  his  voice.  That 
was  a  very  happy  hour  for  the  Trav- 
ers  family,  however. 

"But  why  didn't  you  write,  you 
naughty  boy?"  demanded  Edith  later 
when  they  all  sat  around  in  hero  worship 
of  the  prodigal.  "You  had  no  busi 
ness  to  surprise  us  this  way.  Think 
what  a  ri^k  you  ran." 


HEADED  FOR  HOME  363 

• 

"Oh,  he's  used  to  risks,"  broke  in 
Madge,  "besides  which  joy  seldom 
kills,  does  it,  mother?" 

"I  never  heard  of  it  doing  so,  dear, 
and,  you  know,  'all's  well  that  ends  well. 
She  was  stroking  Paul's  hair  as  she 
spoke,  but  a  minute  later  she  uttered 
a  startled  cry  and  exclaimed:  "Dear 
me,  here  we  have  been  talking  two 
hours,  and  no  one  has  thought  to 
ask  if  Paul  has  had  his  supper. 
Why,  how  thoughtless  of  us!" 

"Now,  mother,  don't  worry,  I'm 
not  a  bit  hungry,"  insisted  Paul;  but 
his  mother  had  already  flown  to  the 
kitchen,  followed  closely  by  Madge 
and  Edith. 

It  was  long  after  midnight  before 
they  thought  of  retiring,  and  even 
then  they  went  upstairs  and  lingered 
on  the  landing  for  half  an  hour  longer, 
still  plying  Paul  with  questions. 

In  his  own  room  at  last  the  lad 
stood,  and  his  first  act  was  to  drop 
on  his  knees  beside  the  white  iron 
bed  in  which  he  had  slept  since  he 
was  a  boy  of  ten.  An  hour  later, 
when  his  mother  stole  in  to  see  if  he 
was  really  there  yet,  the  moonlight 


364    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 
•#**v 

played  across  his  face,  and  as  she 
pressed  a  kiss  on  the  closed  eyes  she 
murmured  a  fervent  "Thank  God" 
for  giving  her  back  her  only  son. 

And  now,  having  brought  Paul 
home  safe  and  sound  from  his  long 
journey  of  50,000  miles,  all  who  have 
followed  his  adventurous  career  will 
be  interested  in  learning  how  he  was 
received  at  the  Mercury  office.  Be 
fore  he  had  been  in  Chicago  twenty- 
four  hours  he  went  down  town  to  pay 
his  respects  to  Mr.  Wilder.  With  a 
curious  trepidation  he  knocked  at  the 
editor's  door,  and  the  next  minute 
was  back  again  in  the  well-remembered 
room. 

It  was  not  strange  that  the  busy 
newspaper  man  failed  to  identify  in 
the  bronzed  face  of  the  sturdy  youth 
the  rather  delicate  features  of  the 
lad  from  whom  he  had  parted  sixteen 
months  before.  But  when  Paul  smiled 
and  held  out  his  hand  there  came  in 
stant  recognition. 

"Why!  Why!  Why!  Is  it  possi 
ble  that  the  young  globe-trotter  has 
returned?"  he  exclaimed  with  a  hearty 
emphasis.  "Sit  down,  sit  down,  my 


HEADED  FOR  HOME  365 

son;  you  don't  know  how  delighted  I 
am  to  see  you.  When  did  you  get 
back?" 

"Last  night,   sir." 

"Last  night!  Then  you  must  have 
surprised  the  folks,  for  I  saw  your 
father  yesterday  morning,  and  he 
hadn't  heard  a  word  since  you  left 
London.'' 

"Yes,  I  wanted  to  break  in  on 
them  without  any  fuss,  so  I  didn't 
telegraph  from  New  York,  but  came 
right  through." 

"Do  you  know,  I'm  proud  of  your 
record,  Paul, "  said  the  editor  presently, 
after  the  lad  had  expressed  his  grati 
tude  for  past  kindnesses;  "and  before 
I  forget  it  I  want  to  say  that  you 
have  well  earned  the  right  to  wear  a 
Mercury  star.  When  will  you  be 
ready  to  begin  work?" 

"Next  Monday,  if  agreeable,  Mr. 
Wilder.  I  want  to  visit  this  week 
with  the  folks,  and  then  I  shall  be 
anxious  to  make  a  start.  Will  that 
suit  your  convenience?" 

"Oh,  yes,  any  time.  Get  rested  up 
good,  and  then  report  to  me.  By 
the  way,  Paul,  how  about  that 


366          PAUL  TRAVERS1  ADVENTURES 

money  you  were  to  have  when  you 
reached  Chicago?" 

"Thanks  to  you,  sir,  I  was  able  to 
keep  my  word.  As  you  know,  I  had 
a  little  over  fifty  dollars  when  I  left  home. 
Well,  your  last  draft  that  was  await 
ing  me  in  New  York  is  still  in  my 
pocket,  together  with  nearly  forty  dollars 
in  cash,  so  you  see  I  have  made  good 
my  boast." 

Mr.  Wilder  laughed  long  and  heart 
ily.  "That  beats  any  record  I  ever 
knew, "  he  finally  declared.  ' '  Left  here 
with  fifty  dollars  in  your  purse,  been 
gone  nearly  a  year  and  a  half,  trav 
eled  upward  of  fifty  thousand  miles, 
and  turn  up  with  something  over  sixty 
dollars.  Why,  of  course  we  want  you 
on  the  Mercury  staff;  you're  a  marvel, 
that's  what  you  are.  The  Society  of 
Economic  Research  ought  to  make 
you  an  honorary  life  member." 

The  editor  was  still  chuckling  when 
Paul  went  away  with  instructions  to 
report  for  duty  to  the  city  editor  the 
following  Monday.  As  the  lad  re 
tired  Mr.  Wilder  exclaimed  under  his 
breath:  "A  dangerous  experiment, 


HEADED  FOR  HOME  367 

as  I  allowed,  but  it  is  the  making  of 

him." 

****** 

The  story  of  Paul's  first  adventures 
ends  here.  Of  his  experiences  as  a 
reporter  and  later  of  his  newspaper 
and  literary  successes  something  may 
be  told  at  a  future  date.  But  it  may 
be  said  that  when  he  first  pinned  on 
his  reporter's  star  it  was  with  an  in 
ward  resolve  to  be  true  to  his  ideals; 
to  allow  no  personal  prejudices  to  bias 
his  writings,  and  to  strive  always  to 
tell  the  truth.  In  this  he  has  re 
mained  steadfast,  although  not  with 
out  many  struggles  and  temptations 
to  secede.  In  Mr.  Wilder  he  retained 
a  warm  friend,  who  was  always  glad 
to  give  kindly  advice  to  the  youngster 
whom  he  had  practically  inducted  into 
journalism  and  over  whose  welfare  he 
closely  watched. 

With  Dr.  Tolman  Paul  maintained 
a  faithful  correspondence.  The  doctor 
threatens  every  year  to  visit  America, 
but  so  far  has  never  made  good  his 
promise,  although  he  is  still  a  bach 
elor.  "Jim"  sticks  to  Australia,  and 
Grand  Rapids  is  the  loser  by  it,  for, 


368    PAUL  TRAVERS'  ADVENTURES 

having  turned  his  mechanical  genius 
to  practical  inventions,  he  is  now  do 
ing  very  well  in  Melbourne.  Every 
little  while  Paul  sees  a  face  on  the 
street  that  is  strangely  familiar,  but 
so  far  none  of  the  many  friends  he 
made  on  his  eventful  trip  has  come 
to  claim  his  attention. 

A  year  after  his  return  home  he 
read  that  Ethel's  father  had  been 
transferred  from  Fiji  to  a  more  lucra 
tive  diplomatic  post  near  home,  and 
when  Paul  goes  abroad  again  he 
thinks  he  will  certainly  renew  their 
friendship.  But  the  lad  may  lose  all 
interest  long  before  the  opportunity 
arrives. 

Someone  suggested  to  him  a  few 
months  after  he  went  to  work  on  the 
Mercury  that  an  account  of  his  tramp 
around  the  world  would  make  an  in 
teresting  story  for  all  youngsters  fond 
of  adventure,  and  Paul  promised  to 
write  it  out  as  soon  as  he  found 
time.  But  I  don't  suppose  he  ever 
will,  do  you? 

THE    END. 


THIS  BOOK  HAS  BEEN  PRINTED 
DURING  AUGUST,  1897,  BY  THE 
BLAKELV  PRINTING  COMPANY, 
CHICAGO,  FOR  WAY  &  WILLIAMS. 


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